Aston Villa reject bid for £26m star as Unai Emery identifies new £10m target

Aston Villa have reportedly turned down Fenerbahce’s final offer for central defender Diego Carlos, disappointing Jose Mourinho.

Transfer news specialist Fabrizio Romano reports no agreement will be reached between Villa and Fenerbahce despite days of negotiations. Unai Emery is still open to letting Carlos go but only for the right price, with several new clubs now said to be “joining the race”.

Carlos, 31, arrived with great promise when he was signed from Sevilla for £26 million in 2022. Widely recognised as one of the best physical central defenders in Europe at the time, it was hoped Carlos would become one of Villa’s star players but he suffered a horrific injury on just his second appearance in claret and blue.

An innocent jump for the ball against Everton in August 2022 led to a painful nine-month recovery as Carlos landed awkwardly and ruptured his Achilles tendon. It was the worst injury of his career and it was such bad luck for Villa who had forked out so much to secure his services.

Since then, Carlos has been in and out of the starting XI under Emery as he’s typically been behind Ezri Konsa and Pau Torres in the pecking order. It’s unclear if he’s even ahead of Tyrone Mings now that the former England international has returned from a long-term injury of his own.

Unai Emery identifies new Aston Villa defensive target

Villa are on the search for a right-sided defender and a report from Spanish publication Record suggests Levante’s Andres Garcia has been added to the shortlist. The full-back, also capable of playing in the centre, has started every match in the Spanish second tier for Levante this season.

It’s reported that Sporting Lisbon, Real Betis and Sevilla hold a strong interest in Garcia but Villa are also “in the picture” with the player available for just €12 million (£10.1m) thanks to a release clause. Emery and co will have to be quick if they want to sign Garcia for that fee, however, as the clause increases to €25 million (£21.1m) if Levante are promoted to La Liga.

Garcia, an academy graduate at the Valencia-based club, has been one of the first names on the team sheet for 18 months. He’s yet to gain any experience with the national team but it could only be a matter of time before he receives a call if he continues his impressive trajectory. The 21-year-old shares an agent with Pau Torres, so that may aid Villa’s chances of signing him.

Another right-back target being considered - also Spanish - is Celta Vigo’s Oscar Mingueza, who has a €20 million (£16.6m) release clause. Just like Garcia, Mingueza has hardly missed a tick for his club this season, starting 18 of the 19 La Liga matches so far.

Recently called up to the Spain squad to play all 90 minutes in a 3-2 Nations League win over Switzerland, Mingueza rejoined the international setup for the first time since his debut in 2021. The 25-year-old has been in excellent form for Celta and he didn’t miss a single La Liga fixture last season.