Aston Villa now have Marseille centre-back Duje Caleta-Car on their radar ahead of the summer window, according to Football Insider.
The Lowdown: Caleta-Car profiled
Caleta-Car, who shares the same agent as four Villa players, is 25 years of age and has been with the Ligue 1 side since 2018.
The Croatia international has made 123 appearances for Marseille – 32 of which have come during the current campaign.
He’ll be entering the final 12 months of his contract in the summer, and it looks as if he is now wanted in the Midlands in what could be a major summer spending spree ahead of Steven Gerrard’s first full season in charge.
The Latest: Source shares update
FI shared a story regarding Villa and Caleta-Car on Saturday morning after being informed by a Villa source. They claimed that the centre-back is firmly on the club’s radar after Gerrard and Villa ‘hierarchy’ watched Caleta-Car in action during the week.
Neither Tyrone Mings or Ezri Konsa have completely convinced Gerrard since he took over, so it looks as if at least one centre-back will arrive over the coming months.
The Verdict: Gerrard impressed?
Marseille ran out 3-2 winners over Nantes in the week, with Caleta-Car playing the entirety of the victory with Gerrard and Villa chiefs watching on.
Gerrard may have been fairly impressed with what he saw from the defender, who, as per SofaScore, won 100% of his aerial duels and completed 75 of his 80 attempted passes.
Caleta-Car may well be available for a cut-price figure due to his contract situation in France, so a move to Villa Park could be one to keep an eye on ahead of the 2022/23 season.
In other news: Villa and Lange now want to sign ‘monstrous’ 7-trophy ace for Gerrard; talks underway.