Fenerbahce have confirmed that an agreement in principle has been reached with Aston Villa over the transfer of Diego Carlos.
Speculation has been rife for weeks now over the 31-year-old’s future at the club, with the expectation that he would leave Villa this month, having previously been linked with a departure last summer.
READ MORE: What Unai Emery said in assessment of Villa’s defeat to Monaco
Having been limited to just 17 appearances so far this season across all competitions, combined with his age, contract situation and being injury and error prone, there has been a sense that an exit would make sense for all concerned at this stage.
Carlos has 18 months remaining on his current deal, and so from a Villa perspective, this is arguably the best, and perhaps last, opportunity we might have to move him on for a decent fee.
As per Fenerbahce’s official statement, they’ve now confirmed that an agreement in principle has been reached between the two clubs over the transfer of Carlos, who will now travel to Turkey to undergo his medical and complete the formalities of his move.
Further, Fabrizio Romano reports that the deal is worth in excess of €10m, and so this has to be seen as great business from Villa in offloading a player with a bit-part role, and ultimately giving ourselves space in the squad and financial flexibility to go and sign a replacement to improve the squad.
In his 58 appearances for Villa, Carlos has played an important role in our progress to this point, and after battling back from a serious injury in his debut season with us, he deserves credit for what he has contributed during his time with us.
That said, for the reasons detailed above, it feels like the right time for all concerned to part ways, as he’ll get a more prominent role with Fenerbahce, while Villa will look to step up our pursuit of a replacement to fill the void.
One will certainly be needed, and soon, as with Pau Torres currently sidelined by injury, we’re short in that department behind Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa.
Names have already been linked with Villa, but with no official word of a deal being close, the expectation is that the club will move quickly to replace Carlos in the coming days and avoid leaving Unai Emery short of options for our upcoming games.
