Newcastle could sign star Liverpool were quoted £65m for in a bargain deal

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Sevilla may have a reputation as something of a ’selling club’ but that does not mean that the La Liga giants have no concept of value. 

While confirming that both Manchester City and Chelsea had made approaches for Jules Kounde, the club’s much-vaunted sporting director Monchi made it clear in August of last year that the Premier League giants could forget about signing the France international for a penny less than his near-£70 million release clause. 

“We weren’t satisfied with (Chelsea’s) offer. It was a decent fee but it didn’t meet our criteria,” Monchi explained, via The Standard.

“Last year he had the interest from City and now Chelsea this year. (The release clause) has always been 80m euros.” 

For a while at least, Sevilla appeared to be taking a similar stance with Kounde’s centre-half partner, the granite-carved, steel-capped Diego Carlos.

According to La Razon, the 2020 Europa League winners demanded that Carlos’s £65 million release clause be paid in full if Liverpool, who were rumoured to be interested at the time, firmed up their interest in the belligerent, late-blooming Brazilian. 

So, given Carlos’ eye-watering value and Sevilla’s hardline stance, do not underestimate just what an achievement it would be if Newcastle succeed in luring the former Nantes stopper away from the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan for a cool £25 million discount. 

Is Diego Carlos heading to Newcastle for £40m?

After failing with a rather low-ball opening offer earlier this week, Newcastle are confident of securing Carlos’s sought-after signature for £40 million (talkSPORT).

Hardly a minor sum – Newcastle have never spent more than £40 million on a single player after all – but a lot less than the £65 million Sevilla wanted last year. 

This is not a case of Sevilla feeling charitable, after all. Monchi, you’d imagine, cares little about Newcastle’s survival prospects. This is business.

And if Sevilla are willing to shave £25 million off Carlos’ price-tag – with three years left on his contract – then there’s a reason why.

The fact remains that, despite helping shape Sevilla into genuine La Liga challengers, Carlos is no longer the most coveted centre-half in Julen Lopetegui’s squad; He is the tough-tackling Spock to Kounde’s Captain Kirk these days, overshadowed by his younger team-mate. 

Furthermore, interest from the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United and Real Madrid has dried up, meaning Newcastle are no longer facing competition from Europe’s biggest clubs.  

But do not let that distract you from the fact that Newcastle could still be about to snap up one of Europe’s finest defenders from a title-chasing club for £25 million less than Liverpool were quoted not so long ago.