Aston Villa have reportedly submitted a loan approach for Southampton defender Jan Bednarek as a short-term replacement for the injured Diego Carlos.
According to Football Insider, Aston Villa have approached fellow Premier League club Southampton over a possible season-long loan deal for Polish defender Jan Bednarek.
Aston Villa signed Diego Carlos, Boubacar Kamara, and Ludwig Augustinsson earlier in the summer transfer window. They also signed former loanees Philippe Coutinho and Robin Olsen permanently. However, things have been rather quiet until the last week or so.
But Aston Villa have now been forced into the market for another central defender, with marquee summer signing Diego Carlos undergoing surgery on an Achilles injury he sustained against Everton last week. The Brazilian international has been ruled out for a long time and will not return to action until next year at the earliest.
While Aston Villa have been linked with a free transfer for former Lyon defender Jason Denayer, Steven Gerrard is probably looking to sign someone who has got experience of playing in the Premier League. The Villans have thus reportedly turned their attention to Southampton centre-back Jan Bednarek.
Bednarek, under contract at St. Mary’s until 2025, has made 152 appearances for Southampton, chipping in with seven goals and four assists, since arriving from Lech Poznan in 2017. For their part, the Saints are said to be open to selling the 26-year-old at the right price, with Mohammed Salisu and Armel Bella-Kotchap the preferred options for Ralph Hasenhuttl going forward.
Bednarek has been linked with a number of possible exit this summer and is attracting interest from clubs across Europe. A move to Serie A was previously thought to be in the pipeline but has not materialised yet. While the 26-year-old may not be the most stylish defender and lacks ball-playing attributes to suit Steven Gerrard’s system, he has a proven Premier League track record and can help Aston Villa shore up their backline.
That said, it remains to be seen whether Southampton are looking to loan Bednarek out because some reports suggest they are demanding a fee north of £15 million for a permanent sale. West Ham United are also believed to be interested in the 26-year-old, in addition to Aston Villa.
The Villans have also sounded out loan deals for Manchester United’s Eric Bailly and, most recently have enquired about Chelsea’s Trevoh Chalobah. But as things stand, the Bednarek deal appears to be in a relatively more advanced stage, with the the two Premier League clubs in direct contact.
