Man city want Liverpool defensive target, a good deal?

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Bengaluru, July 22: In recent months, one of the players who has consistently seen himself getting linked with a move to the Premier League and to be more specific, Liverpool, is star Sevilla defender Diego Carlos. The Brazilian stopper only made his move to Sevilla from Ligue 1 side Nantes last summer but such has been his impact that almost every top club in Europe has been linked with the services of the 27-year-old.

It is reported in Spain that Sevilla are willing to entertain offers for their prized asset but only if his release clause of €75m release clause is triggered. This again shows Monchi’s transfer acumen and why he is the best director of football in the world having signed him for just €15m last summer.

Liverpool have been strongly linked with the Brazilian defender who has been likened to their star defender Virgil van Dijk but it is understood that the Reds are not willing to pay such a massive amount in such an uncertain time and that could prove to be a huge boost to their rivals Manchester City who are in more dire need to strengthen their backline that the newly-crowned champions of England. And, he should be a great addition to Pep Guardiola's side and also suits the system perfectly.

Here, we will take a closer look at the 27-year-old and try to analyse why he will be a brilliant signing at the Etihad:

A ball-playing defender

Since his move to La Liga last summer, Diego Carlos has been the arguably best centre-back in Spain in a league that boasts players like Sergio Ramos, Raphael Varane, Gerard Pique, Clement Lenglet and many top defenders. The Brazilian has been a massive hit at the Seville club and has played a key part behind their fourth-placed finish.

The 27-year-old has made his name as one of the best ball-playing defenders in not just La Liga but also in Europe. The Brazilian is assured on the ball and has an eye for a pass, be it long or short. In Guardiola' system, a ball-playing defender like Carlos can prove to be a game-changer. He has averaged 53.8 passes per game for Sevilla this season which is the highest for the La Liga side and his passing accuracy of 83.8% is also top-notch.

The Brazilian has also garnered a reputation of playing Hollywood passes effortlessly and him joining Aymeric Laporte at the heart of the Manchester City defence can be frightening for rivals.

Carlos knows how to defend

With most top managers favouring ball-playing defenders nowadays in their backline, we often come across many defenders who do not have their basics right. There are very few defenders who can strike a perfect balance between ball-playing and defending and Carlos seems to have perfected this art.

The Brazilian can prove to be very much no-nonsense when needed and that is the reason why he is so much in demand. Boasting a frame of 6'1", he has an imposing presence both on and off the ball and also excels in the air.

The 27-year-old has won 58% of aerial duels while achieving a tackling success rate of 79% and in terms of those stats, he is only bettered by three Premier League defenders who are Virgil van Dijk, Toby Alderweireld and Caglar Söyüncü. Carlos would complement Laporte really well and could finally be the replacement of Vincent Kompany Pep Guardiola tried to find in John Stones this season.

Value for money

The only point of concern for Manchester City or whoever wants to sign Carlos would be his asking price of €75m which is too much for a player who has only one world-class season in his resume. However, when Liverpool signed Virgil van Dijk for a similar fee two and a half years back, the Dutchman was not truly world-class. If the player proves to be a success, transfer fees hardly matter these days and considering how badly the Cityzens need a top central defender, they should take this risk.