Aston Villa are ‘genuinely’ looking at a move for Paris Saint-Germain defender Abdou Diallo, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Carlos replacement sought

Steven Gerrard will be on the hunt for defensive reinforcements as a result of Diego Carlos facing six months on the sidelines after rupturing his Achilles tendon this month, and two names in particular have consistently cropped up of late.

Recent reports suggest that the Villans have reached an agreement in principle to sign Southampton centre-back Jan Bednarek, but that hasn’t stopped them from being linked with PSG's Diallo.

French outlet Le Parisien claim that the Midlanders have been offered the chance to recruit the 26-year-old, who is available for €10m (£8.4m) and is keen to make the move to the Premier League.

The Latest: Villa eyeing defensive duo

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones revealed that both Bednarek and Diallo are being monitored by Villa, and he believes the latter would be the "better player" of the two.

The journalist said: “Both are linked, and I think both are genuinely being looked at. Diallo is a better player in my eyes, but then there is the fact that Bednarek might need less adaptation time in England, so might fit in more quickly.”

The Verdict: Perfect for Gerrard

Despite Diallo only starting ten matches in Ligue 1 last season, Gerrard shouldn’t be deterred by that alone, as the 26-year-old has proven that he can be a smart distributor of the ball out from defence

The Senegalese centre-back, who was dubbed ‘powerful’ by former Mainz sporting director Rouven Schroder, won 1.8 tackles and 1.2 of his aerial duels per league game in 2021/22, ranking among the top five players at PSG for both metrics.

He also stands out for his composure in possession, ranking in the 90th percentile for passes attempted and the 98th percentile for pass completion (88.2%) among positional peers in Europe's top five leagues over the past 12 months.

The 6 foot 2 colossus seemingly wants a move to England, and Villa are in need of a new centre-back after Carlos' long-term injury, so this is a prospective move which could suit both parties perfectly.