Carlos Sanchez, one of Columbia’s featured players in the 2014 World Cup, has signed a four-year deal with Aston Villa after the English club agreed on a £4 million transfer with the player’s former team, Elche CF.
Lions boss Paul Lambert has aimed to bolster his midfield this offseason, and when the Ki Sung-Yueng of Swansea City didn’t end up moving to Villa Park, the 45-year-old looked elsewhere, Sanchez being their primary target.
Lambert believes that the defensive midfielder will bring physicality and a straightforward, effective approach to his squad’s play.
Sanchez made 30 appearances for Elche in 2013-14, tallying zero goals, and his six-year stint with French side Valenciennes, where he scored ten goals in 178 appearances, highlighted his longest tenure at a specific team.
“I’m delighted to be here, it’s something I have always dreamed of and it is very important for me to be here at Aston Villa, not only for me but for my family as well,” he said to the club’s official website. “It was always my aim to play in this country and in this league and I know Villa well as Juan Pablo also played here. I began to watch Villa games when he came in 2001. He was a goal scorer who was very important to this club and I followed his time here because he was always scoring goals.”
The Columbian’s presence does, in fact, help Aston Villa control the pace of play. With striker Christian Benteke out of matches only until September, it makes sense that Villa would look to find a defensive-minded man: one who’s capable of slowing down advances, recognizing and closing openings during the opposing team’s attack. His skill set should allow for a fairly smooth transition to the Premier League, and he can certainly carry the Lions to a higher level.
