'Talks held' - Fulham rival AC Milan to £36m 'man mountain' in marquee transfer

Fulham have held talks with Aston Villa over the transfer of centre-back Diego Carlos as the club looks to fill the hole left by the departure of Tosin Adarabioyo this summer.

It's been a quiet window for the Cottagers so far but it looks poised to spring to life in the final weeks before the return of the Premier League season. Marco Silva has added Emile Smith-Rowe to his ranks from Arsenal in an impressive coup with Manchester United man Scott McTominay also linked.

Signing a centre-back is also a priority for the London outfit, having painfully seen Adarabioyo leave as a free agent at the end of the 2023/24 campaign. The talented 26-year-old became the subject of a race between Newcastle United and Chelsea, with the latter winning the battle to see a contract offer accepted.

It now appears that Fulham have located their ideal replacement with the Daily Mail reporting that negotiations for Carlos are underway. The 31-year-old joined the Midlands side from Sevilla two years ago but has had his influence hampered by a serious knee injury during his first season.

The centre-back made 27 appearances last season as Unai Emery's men secured Champions League football but was constantly in and out of the side. Aston Villa paid £26 million to sign the player in 2022 - TEAMtalk report that AC Milan are also interested in the defender's services.

When he has played, the Brazilian has impressed. Carlos starred as Aston Villa beat Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium earlier this year and was praised by pundit Gary Neville. The former Manchester United man said: "He’s been Villa’s best player in the first half Diego Carlos, he’s been immense. Clean sheet, he’s been outstanding. In the first half, he was a man mountain."

The Villains are currently looking to bring in revenue in order to fund preparations for next season's Champions League campaign, with first team star Jhon Duran also linked with an exit to West Ham. Like Premier League rivals, Villa need to offset any new summer signings with incomings despite the £50 million windfall for last season's lofty league finish - the club have already splurged on Amadou Onana, Ian Maatsen, Cameron Archer and Jaden Philogene this summer.