Premier League side Aston Villa have reportedly stepped up their interest in 25-year-old Marseille centre-back Duje Caleta-Car.
According to Football Insider, Aston Villa are prioritising a centre-back signing for the upcoming summer transfer window as Steven Gerrard begins to prepare for the next season. They have reportedly identified Marseille defender Duje Caleta-Car as a potential signing.
Gerrard reportedly watched the Marseille defender play this midweek along with the Aston Villa scouts, hinting that the Midlands club are in serious pursuit of the 25-year-old. The report claims that Villa also scouted midfielder Boubacar Kamara during Marseille’s Ligue 1 encounter against Nantes, which the former won 3-2.
Aston Villa have fallen down the league table recently and are currently 15th in Ligue 1 after losing four of their last five matches. They are willing to provide Gerrard with enough funds to help the club climb up the Premier League table next season. To that end, Robin Olsen could join Aston Villa permanently, with Philippe Coutinho also in the same boat.
Caleta-Car joined the Ligue 1 club from Red Bull Salzburg in the 2018 summer window for €19 million. He took a couple of seasons before cementing a spot in the Ligue 1 club’s defence and has since been one of the first names on the team sheet. In all, the 25-year-old has made 123 appearances for the French club in almost four seasons, scoring five and assisting three goals.
⚠️ | QUICK STAT
Duje Ćaleta-Car has just netted his first goal for Marseille since 12 December, when he scored in a 2:0 win over Strasbourg.
His two league goals this season are already the joint-most he's scored in a single Ligue 1 campaign since joining OM in 2018. ?#PSGOM pic.twitter.com/MpjOriLFh8
— SofaScore (@SofaScoreINT) April 17, 2022
Caleta-Car’s solidity at the heart of the Marseille defence and aerial prowess make him an interesting prospect for Aston Villa, who are eagerly looking to improve their defence ahead of the next season. Gerrard is not convinced with the current central defensive options he has at his disposal and wants an upgrade this summer.
Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konza are currently Aston Villa’s first-choice centre-backs, with Calum Chambers and Kortney Hause the other options. The Villans are thus eager to add reinforcements in the department this summer. They are reportedly confident of convincing Marseille into selling the defender.
The 25-year-old will just have a year remaining on his current contract with the Ligue 1 club, and they would thus want to sell him this summer rather than risk losing him on a free next season. It will be interesting to see if Aston Villa can secure his services.
