West Ham ‘keeping an eye’ on £26m Aston Villa star wanted by Fulham

Aston Villa centre-back Diego Carlos is reportedly being considered by West Ham United following interest from Fulham.

The Brazilian played in pre-season just twice, against Spartak Trnava on July 20 and then when he was sent off for two silly yellow cards against RB Leipzig. Things just haven’t worked out for Carlos since he signed from Sevilla for around £26 million in 2022, not helped of course by his ruptured Achilles tendon injury early on.

The West Ham Way reports the Hammers are keeping a close eye on Carlos’ situation as they consider a swoop. Kurt Zouma is expected to be sold to a club in either Saudi Arabia or Dubai and Carlos is being eyed as a potential replacement. Chelsea’s Trevor Chalobah and free agent Mats Hummels are also targets.

Sky Sports, meanwhile, reported several days ago that Fulham have held initial talks with Villa over the possibility of signing Carlos. The Cottagers lost Tosin Adarabioyo to Chelsea after his contract expired and are still looking for a like-for-like player to fill that role.

Carlos has played 41 matches for Villa in the past two years, accumulating 2,744 minutes across all competitions. A rotation option throughout much of last season, the 31-year-old showed his qualities and experience at times but wasn’t consistent enough to be a mainstay in the XI.

Having played 14 times in the UEFA Champions League for Sevilla, many would think Carlos would be of use for the upcoming campaign. Villa are keen to cash in while they can, though, especially with Tyrone Mings set to feel like a new signing upon his return from injury.