Manchester City are reportedly eyeing a transfer for Sevilla centre-back Diego Carlos, as they look to strengthen their defence.
The 27-year-old joined the Spanish club from Nantes in the 2019 summer transfer window, and after a successful first season with Sevilla, several clubs in Europe have added him to their transfer shortlist.
Premier League giants Manchester City are one of the clubs interested in signing Carlos, as per Sport. He is seen as a backup option if they can’t complete a deal to sign Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly.
The report states that Carlos and Atletico Madrid’s Jose Gimenez are two of the alternatives for Manchester City manager Guardiola.
Carlos has a release clause of €70 million in his contract with Sevilla, which expires in 2024. The centre-back joined the Spanish club for a fee of €15 million last year.
Diego Carlos – A good alternative to Koulibaly?
Kalidou Koulibaly, who is regarded as one of the best centre-backs in Europe, has been linked with a move to City for a while now. The towering Napoli defender has all the qualities to make City one of the strongest sides in the Premier League defensively.
But, the Italian club have been stubborn in any negotiations and have put a big price tag on the Senegalese defender.
City may have to look for alternatives if they cannot sign Koulibaly, as they desperately need another centre-back to wrestle the title away from Liverpool. They have already signed Nathan Ake from Bournemouth, but he could be used as an understudy to Aymeric Laporte or even play in the left-back role.
Diego Carlos could be a decent alternative to Koulibaly, although he is not on the 29-year-old’s level yet. The Brazilian has shown great composure and dominance at the back, be it in the air or on the ground.
Carlos has the knack of nipping in and making key interceptions and tackles, while also being aggressive in the air.
He often senses danger and puts the ball in the stands, or builds attacks with his composed passing. He averaged 54.3 passes per game last season in La Liga, while also playing 4.8 long balls per game. (Stats via Whoscored)
Carlos could be a better option for Pep Guardiola when compared to the likes of John Stones or Nicolas Otamendi, and the right-footed centre-back could form a decent partnership with Laporte at the back. Stones and Otamendi have been far too inconsistent at the back, and there is a chance for any new signing to get into the playing XI alongside Laporte.
Going from Koulibaly to Carlos does seem like a massive step down, though. Koulibaly would instantly make the Manchester City defence meaner. Carlos, despite his impressive progress at Sevilla, has only had one good season in the Spanish top-flight, so it would be risky to sign him and expect him to increase the quality of the Manchester City defence straight away.
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