Centre-back Klopp wanted to complete his Liverpool defence - and where he is now

10 December 2023 , 06:30

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Centre-back Klopp wanted to complete his Liverpool defence - and where he is now

Jurgen Klopp has a good eye for talent across the pitch and rarely makes a poor signing as Liverpool boss.

More often than not, the only thing Klopp can be accused of is not signing enough of the stellar talent he identifies. Take Diego Carlos as a prime example, the central defender was highly thought of by the Liverpool manager back in 2020 and earmarked as someone who could complete the Reds' defence alongside Virgil van Dijk.

Spanish publication Sport claimed that at the time, Liverpool were at the front of the queue for Carlos' signature, but soon scurried upon learning about the €70million release clause in his Sevilla contract. As a result, the Reds opted to look elsewhere.

As for Carlos, his stock has continued to rise, with the season after the Liverpool links arguably the strongest of his Sevilla career. By the time the January transfer window of 2022 rolled around, a whole host of Premier League clubs were keeping tabs on the Brazilian, including the likes of Newcastle and West Ham.

Five months later, Carlos did make the move to the Premier League, enticed by what was then-Steven Gerrard's project at Villa Park. Upon his arrival, the centre-back was immediately named as one of the club's vice-captains.

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However, disaster soon struck and in just his second league game, his first in front of the Villa faithful, Carlos ruptured his Achilles tendon and was forced to undergo surgery that would keep him sidelined for seven months.

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Diego Carlos was once linked with a move to Liverpool before his Aston Villa switch

By the time he was fit to feature for the first-team in competitive action, former Sevilla boss Unai Emery was at the helm and Carlos now looks every inch the player Liverpool so desperately wanted three years prior. Klopp may be frustrated to read that the defender ended up only costing Villa around £26m in transfer fees.

Carlos is now part of an Aston Villa side who are playing the best football the club has seen for years under Emery. Wednesday night saw them topple reigning champions Manchester City and as a result, they now sit third in the table.

At 30 years of age, Villa boast a technically gifted centre-back with plenty of experience who could prove to be a valuable asset in their hunt for Champions League qualification. Who knows what could have happened or what he could have been had he joined Liverpool three years ago.

Josh O'Brien