da poker： Aston Villa have reportedly made contact over a move for Marseille defender Duje Caleta-Car.

The Lowdown: Caleta-Car links

da bet nacional： Villa appear to be on the hunt for a new centre-back before the deadline after Diego Carlos suffered a serious injury on the weekend.

The club have confirmed that the Brazilian will require surgery on a ruptured Achilles tendon, with the likes of Caleta-Car and Jason Denayer linked with moves to the Midlands as a result.

Reports suggested that Caleta-Car has already packed his bags to reunite with former teammate Boubacar Kamara in England, and it looks as if Villa have taken the next step regarding a potential move.

The Latest: Contact made

Birmingham Live relayed an update from French outlet Jeunes Footeux regarding Caleta-Car.

They claimed that contact has been made over a possible transfer, with the Ligue 1 side hoping to receive a fee in the region of £9m for the player who is also attracting interest from Inter Milan, Torino and Sevilla.

The Verdict: Fingers crossed

Villa may well be about to green-light an exit for Kortney Hause, with Watford keen on a loan deal, so if that goes through, a new defender will definitely be needed.

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Therefore, Caleta-Car, labelled as an ‘excellent player’ by talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook, could be a shrewd signing.

The Croatia international is still just 25 years of age, has plenty of Ligue 1 experience under his belt and is into the final 12 months of his Marseille contract. He’s also valued at £14.4m by Transfermarkt, so a £9m fee as reported could prove to be a shrewd piece of business by NSWE in both the short and long run.