MY ACCOUNT
Diego Carlos will not be moving to Newcastle in the January transfer window, according to Sevilla sporting director Monchi.
The Magpies tabled a bid of reportedly around £30million this month to try to bring the Brazil centre-back to the Premier League, but that was rejected by Sevilla and it appears that the deal will not be revisited before deadline day.
The 28-year-old joined Sevilla in 2019 from French side Nantes and has established himself as a key part of Julen Lopetegui’s stubborn backline, which boasts the best defensive record in LaLiga this season having conceded just 16 times in 22 games.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe was keen to add Diego Carlos as they try to ensure their Premier League safety, but Monchi’s latest comments appear to suggest he will have to look elsewhere for defensive reinforcements in the current window.
Speaking to i, the renowned sporting director said: “The Newcastle offer was a good offer, a respectable offer. I have to say that. But our board and management team thought it wasn’t enough.
“It’s true that maybe it wasn’t the right time. It’s a difficult market to find a replacement for a player like Diego Carlos. It’s a market that takes place over a very short period of time. Maybe if that offer comes along in the summer then things might have changed.”
Monchi also suggested the player himself is happy to stay with Sevilla, who are second in LaLiga, only four points behind leaders Real Madrid.
“I was talking to Diego this morning and he’s happy,” he added. “At the end of the day he’s staying here at his club, a club that really wanted him.
“If he was really angry then maybe he would have changed his opinion, but he seems happy.”
He also had words of praise for the way Newcastle conducted business but reiterated his belief that negotiations have now ended between the two clubs.
“We’ve had conversations based on a lot of respect. They’ve understood that we can reject their offer,” Monchi said.
“The first contact comes from the player’s agent. They said, ‘Maybe Newcastle are prepared to make an offer’.
“The first offer was a month ago. With Newcastle, it’s been very correct the way it’s gone ahead. We’ve had video calls and each side has explained their view.
“We consider the negotiation finished because I don’t think we’re going to start negotiations again because we’re all clear how we think about this transfer.”
