In a recent report, AS has claimed that Manchester City are keeping a keen eye on Sevilla defender Diego Carlos this summer. It is believed that Man City are ‘following in the footsteps’ of the Brazilian centre-back and could make an approach for him if they fail to land Napoli’s Kalidou Kouliably during this summer transfer period (via AS).
Carlos’ Incredible Season At The Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium
The 27-year-old was enjoying a rich vein of form at Seville last season as he put in a run of solid defensive displays at the heart of Julen Lopetegui’s backline. The former Ligue 1 defensive ace featured in 45 matches for the Spanish outfit in the previous campaign and has got two goals and one assist to his name across all competitions.
Carlos showed a lot of growth with his performances on the defensive end of the pitch as evident from his average of 1.0 tackles, 1.0 interceptions and 4.6 clearances per game in La Liga and the UEFA Europa League. The Brazilian sensation even managed to distribute possession well when playing his way out from the back after completing 83.8% of his attempted passes in both the league and European football (stats via whoscored).
The Barra Bonita-born centre-back managed to help his team emerge victorious in the Europa League last month. Sevilla ended their European season with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Inter Milan in the final which gave Carlos the first major silverware of his career.
What Does The Brazilian Defender Bring To The Table?
Carlos can cover a lot of ground inside his half and is quite intelligent in the way he operates at the heart of the defence. He is excellent at reading the danger quickly and can position himself accordingly to pull off some important interceptions at the back for his side. Standing at 1.86m, the Brazilian centre-half can be an intimidating presence inside his penalty area and can contribute by making a few crucial clearances in defence as well.
Is Carlos The Right Fit For Pep Guardiola?
Carlos is a modern-day, ball-playing centre-back who has shown how reliable he can be for his team over the past 12 months at the highest level. The Brazilian will be a welcome addition to Pep Guardiola’s squad as he will inject some much-needed quality to the Man City defence.
At 27, the South American defender is currently playing at his prime, so we can expect him to get even better in the coming seasons. He will help the Mancunian outfit close the gap to Liverpool at the upper echelons of English football.
Furthermore, Carlos could potentially form a superb defensive partnership with Aymeric Laporte at the Etihad Stadium next season. The Brazilian powerhouse will also add some serious competition for the likes of Nathan Ake, John Stones and Nicolás Otamendi at the north-west of England. All in all, the Sevilla star will be a great fit for Man City before the transfer window slams shut later this year as he ticks all the right boxes in terms of what Guardiola demands from his first-choice centre-backs.
