Aston Villa have a centre-back issue brewing, and it's something they are going to have to address in the very near future. Unai Emery's men were stung by a two-goal comeback on Sunday, drawing 4-4 with Manchester United despite having led by two goals at two separate points of the game.

Emery was one unhappy bunny after the game, and while he unleashed his frustration on the match officials, his true frustration likely lay with his players, who suffered two two-goal collapses within one game, which takes some doing. Emery's mood won't have been helped by the Champions League defeat to Barcelona during the week, either, sending Villa into the international break with a bitter taste in their mouths.

Villa are trying to correct a disappointing start to the season, and while they are only five points from the top four, they are having a hard time finding consistent league form.

But there may be a bigger concern building in the background that Villa need to address in the near future.

Villa have a centre-back crisis brewing

Villa are looking down the barrel of a concerning situation when it comes to their centre-backs. The Midlands club currently five centre-backs in their squad, which include Pau Torres, Tyrone Mings, Victor Lindelof, Keba Cisse and Taylor Harwood-Bellis.

Mings is now 33 years of age, and his contract is up at the end of the season, while Lindelof is 31 and his contract is also up, although there is a one-year extension clause built in.

Villa's aging centre-back position

As for Torres, he is 29 years of age, and he will be 31 by the time his contract expires in 2028, due to turn 30 in January. And the centre-back has already told La Otra Grada that he plans to rejoin hometown club Villarreal when his contract is up.

He said: "If nothing strange happens, I will complete the two years I have left on my contract and that will be the end of my time at Aston Villa.

"What I would like is for Villarreal not to have to pay anything for me, to arrive as a free agent. It is the club of my life and I do not want them spending money to bring me back.

"If, when that moment comes, the coach at the club thinks I can provide what is needed, I would be delighted to return. It is something I have in mind and I have spoken about it with the president."

That means Villa are very likely to have only two of their five current centre-backs in 18 months' time. It's something they may be aware of, given the recent investment in two younger defenders in Cissé and Harwood-Bellis, but it's still a precarious position to be in, given the pecking order leads towards the three who are scheduled to leave.

Harwood-Bellis struggled over the weekend, and needs to be developed into a first-choice option, but it's also clear that Villa are going to have to invest significant money into the centre-back position either in January, the summer or both if they are going to stay in with a chance of securing Champions League qualification.