•  Aston Villa have been left short of defensive options despite the arrival of Clement Lenglet.
•  One option could have been signed for £25m from a huge Premier League club.
•  They ultimately ended up moving to Saudi Arabia during the summer window.

Aston Villa had a good summer of business ahead of the much anticipated 2023/24 season, but the Villans are still missing several key players four games in.

Unai Emery and Monchi added five new players to the Villa Park squad, including the record-breaking signing of Moussa Diaby for £51.9 million.

While the business side has been successful, the market progression has been hampered by a lack of players owing to early injury, with both Tyrone Mings and Emiliano Buendia being ruled out with long-term difficulties so early in the season.

The list of absentees was expanded after only 19 minutes at Anfield last Saturday, when Diego Carlos was taken off with pain, adding to the defensive strains.

Who did Aston Villa want to sign this summer?

While Pau Torres and Clement Lenglet arrived in the Midlands during the transfer window, two injuries in central defense have left Emery short on depth and rotation.

How does Aymeric Laporte compare to Diego Carlos?

Aymeric Laporte, who was reported in the Mirror last month as being of interest to the Villans, was one name linked to Villa Park during the summer window.

Despite the claims, the Spaniard left Manchester City for Saudi Arabia to join Al Nassr in a transaction costing only £25 million, making his price appear low given his abilities and experience.

While the decision is ultimately up to the player, Villa could have advanced to the next step if they had made an official move to entice the 29-year-old to the Midlands over someone of Lenglet’s caliber.

Looking back, the prospective arrival of Laporte may have prepared the door for more strength and quality in the back line, which is urgently needed given the double injury blow.

In addition to depth, the five-time Premier League winner could have brought a new level of player to Emery’s side, with abilities much exceeding those of Carlos, who has missed the majority of his Villa career due to injuries.

Recovering from a devastating Achilles tear in August 2022 was exceedingly difficult for both the defender and the club, making his exit last weekend all the more concerning given his track record.

While Carlos’ injury issues are beyond his control, the reality remains that the Brazilian is a less reliable figure in defense, making Laporte’s lack of movement irritating in retrospect.

Previously dubbed a “animal” by journalist Enrique Noriega, the Spaniard is one of Europe’s most highly rated defenders, as seen by his distribution averages, which place him among the best in his position.

According to FBref, Laporte averaged an excellent pass completion percentage of 92.8% and 6.94 progressive passes per 90 during the past year, putting him in the top 1% of centre-backs in Europe’s top five leagues.

Carlos averaged 3.01 progressive passes per 90 for Sevilla in the 2021/22 La Liga season, while retaining a lower pass completion percentage of 87.3%, indicating the difference in calibre between the two players, according to FBref.

Going the extra mile for Laporte may have been a pivotal move by Emery and Monchi, but it wasn’t meant to be, leaving the Villans with selection options to make in the future with absentees in mind.