Aston Villa are reportedly keeping tabs on both Osasuna defender Enzo Boyomo and Sevilla centre-half Loic Bade as a possible defensive reinforcement.
Albeit we improved in the latter stages of the last season, Villa still ended the Premier League campaign with 51 goals conceded from our 38 games.
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That gave us the third-worst defensive record of the top 10 teams, and although our goals scored dropped off last season, not being able to consistently keep clean sheets undoubtedly hurt us in our eventual failure to secure a top-five finish and subsequently book a return to the Champions League.
In turn, that is likely to be an area in which Unai Emery will want to strengthen this summer, and with doubts over whether or not we’ll make Axel Disasi’s loan spell a permanent move, we’re likely to need reinforcements in that department to ensure we have sufficient competition for places and depth to compete on multiple fronts.
According to Spanish journalist Jorge Picon, Villa are monitoring both Boyomo and Bade, with the former having a €25m release clause if we wish to trigger that option.
Boyomo, 23, made 40 appearances last season as he established himself as a key figure for Osasuna, while he’s broken into the senior Cameroon squad now too as he looks set for a bright future at club and international level.
As for Bade, we were linked with the 25-year-old last summer but a move failed to materialise, but based on the suggestion above, it sounds as though our interest remains in the Frenchman after he had another year playing a key role for Sevilla and continues to impress.
With both players right-sided centre-halves in their more natural role, that will mean much needed competition and depth for Ezri Konsa on that side of our defensive partnership, while with Yasin Ozcan set to arrive from Kasimpasa, he’ll add depth behind Pau Torres and Tyrone Mings, if he isn’t loaned out for another year.
Villa have been linked with other defensive targets this month, and so it will be interesting to see who Emery, Monchi and our recruitment team identify as our ideal target, and whether or not we can get a deal done to strengthen our backline.
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