Aston Villa had an encouraging summer of business ahead of the eagerly anticipated 2023/24 season, however four games in and the Villans are without some key players in the squad.
Unai Emery and Monchi added five players to the side at Villa Park, including the blockbuster capture of Moussa Diaby, whose £51.9m price tag broke the club's record signing.
While the business side has been successful, the market progression has been tainted by the shortage of players due to early injury, with both Tyrone Mings and Emiliano Buendia being ruled out so soon in the campaign with long-term issues.
The list of absentees was added to after just 19 minutes at Anfield last weekend, when Diego Carlos was hauled off with discomfort, adding to pressures at the back.
Who did Aston Villa want to sign this summer?
While Pau Torres and Clement Lenglet were welcomed to the Midlands in the transfer window, two injuries in central defence have left Emery short in terms of his depth and ability to rotate.
One name that was linked to Villa Park during the transfer period was Aymeric Laporte, who was mentioned to be of interest to the Villans by the Mirror last month.
Despite the reports, the Spaniard departed Manchester City to move to Saudi Arabia to join Al Nassr in a deal worth only £25m, making his price tag seemingly cheap considering the talents and experience he possesses.
How does Aymeric Laporte compare to Diego Carlos?
While the decision is ultimately for the player to dictate, Villa could have been taken to the next level should they have made an official move to attempt to lure the 29-year-old to the Midlands, over someone of the calibre of Lenglet.
Looking back, the potential introduction of Laporte could have paved the way for additional strength and quality in the back line, something that is required currently considering the double injury blow.
As well as depth, the five-time Premier League winner could have offered a new level of player to Emery’s squad, with ability far beyond that of Carlos, who has missed the majority of his career at Villa so far due to injury.
Recovering from a traumatic Achilles rupture in August 2022 was extremely tough on the defender as well as the club, making his departure last weekend even more worrying due to his track record.
While injury woes are out of Carlos’ hands, the fact remains that the Brazilian represents a less reliable figure in defence, making the lack of movement for Laporte frustrating in hindsight.
Previously hailed as an “animal” by journalist Enrique Noriega, the Spaniard is one of the most highly regarded defenders in Europe, as highlighted by his averages of distribution ranking him as one of the best in his position.
As per FBref, Laporte averaged an exemplary pass completion rate of 92.8% and an average of 6.94 progressive passes per 90 over the past year, with his progressive play ranking him in the top 1% of centre-backs in Europe's top five leagues.
Going back to his last recordable season, Carlos averaged 3.01 progressive passes per 90 for Sevilla in the 2021/22 La Liga campaign, while maintaining a lower pass completion rate of 87.3%, suggesting the difference in calibre between the two players, via FBref.
Going the extra mile for Laporte could have been a fundamental move by Emery and Monchi, however, it wasn’t meant to be, leaving the Villans with decisions to be made over selection in the future with absentees in mind.