Aston Villa are reportedly in the process of identifying alternatives to injured defender Diego Carlos.
Soon after the end of last season, the West Midlands club completed the signing of the Brazilian in a big-money deal from Sevilla.
However, the 29-year-old faces the prospect of spending the remainder of the campaign on the sidelines after suffering a ruptured Achilles towards the end of Saturday's 2-1 victory over Everton.
With Villa unlikely to be willing to spend heavily on a like-for-like replacement, Steven Gerrard has been left to contemplate his options ahead of the end of the summer transfer window.
According to Fanatik, the Premier League outfit may be prepared to make an approach for Attila Szalai over the next two weeks.
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The Hungary international has been attracting interest from England since the turn of the year with Chelsea having previously been linked with the centre-back.
While an offer from the Blues has not been forthcoming, it is claimed that Villa are readying themselves to push forward with a bid for the 24-year-old.
Much may depend on whether his club Fenerbahce earn a spot in the Europa League, the Turkish giants currently preparing to face Austria Vienna in a two-legged playoff tie.
Furthermore, Szalai still has three years remaining on his contract, leaving Fenerbahce in a strong position when negotiating one of their star men's future.
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Jeunes Footeux also claims that Villa are monitoring any developments with the future of Marseille defender Duje Caleta-Car.
Villa have allegedly already made contact with the French outfit, who may be ready to give the green light to a sale for £9m.
The Croatia international has remained as an unused substitute during Marseille's opening two Ligue 1 fixtures of the season, an indication that he could be allowed to depart the Stade Velodrome before the end of the month.
The 26-year-old has less than 12 months remaining on his contract, a situation which is said to have resulted in interest from the likes of Inter Milan and Sevilla.
Darren Plant
