Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard is not wasting any time in attempting to get the club's summer business done nice and early as he goes about building a squad capable of breaking into the Premier League top six.
Gerrard has already been first out of the blocks with a bargain £17m deal tied up for Brazilian midfielder Philippe Coutinho from Barcelona following his initial loan spell and and wrapped up the signing of Marseille midfielder Boubacar Kamara on a free transfer this week.
Now Gerrard looks set to his attention to Villa's defence having seen his leaky backline concede 54 goals in the Premier League last season. Mirror Sport has rounded up all the top Villa transfer news and rumours.
Tarkowski in demand
It is understood Gerrard has told Villa’s deal makers to move heaven and earth to land James Tarkowski. Villa boss Gerrard would like a deal done quickly to stall other clubs from staking a claim. The former England defender is available for nothing and with no shortage of admirers, it’s a question of who can strike the best deal. Tarkowski has reported to have had informal talks with Villa with Gerrard urging chief executive Christian Purslow to get a deal over the line as quickly as possible. Gerrard believes that with the player at 29 and given his proven Premier League experience and two England caps there’s not a better deal to be struck all summer.
The Daily Mail report that Everton and Fulham are also keen to get Tarkowski but Villa are expected to land him with a £120,000 a week offer. The Mail also claim that Brazilian international midfielder Douglas Luiz could be on his way out of Villa Park as part of the rebuild Villa will be prepared to listen to offers for Luiz with Jose Mouirnho’s Roma believed to be a possible destination.
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Carlos interest grows
It is reported Villa are exploring the possibility of signing Brazilian centre-back Diego Carlos during the summer. According to The Athletic Carlos is said to be "among those under consideration" by Gerrard. Carlos, 29, has two years left on his current contract and was linked with a move to Newcastle in January. The report claims, however, that Sevilla's asking price for Carlos could prove a complication for Villa. Carlos has been an integral part of Sevilla's defence since he joined the club from French club Nantes in 2019 and helped the La Liga club secure a place in next season's Champions League. Carlos has part of the Brazil squad which won gold at the 2020 Olympic Games.
Bissouma battle
Villa will not get a clear run at Brighton midfielder Yves Bissouma with a trio of London clubs expected to join the race. Arsenal, Tottenham and West Ham are possible suitors but Gerrard a known admirer. Villa had a £35m bid for the Mali international turned down in January and Gerrard said at the time: "It was well documented that we put in a bid for Bissouma at Brighton which was turned away, and we respected and appreciated. If a move is not right then we will not become desperate and make a decisions that we do not think is right.”
Brighton's local paper The Argus claims that Gerrard may now even consider completely dropping his interest in the player. The paper claims that "Bissouma has been linked with an exit from the club for the last year" but if he is to leave the club "it does not seem like Villa will be his next destination".
