Famed sporting director Monchi has returned to Sevilla after two years away and is making up for lost time by conducting somewhat of a squad overhaul. The Andalusian club were hailed as the model of a modern and well-oiled machine in terms of their sporting direction under the former goalkeeper but in the 24 months in-between they had notable lost their way.
A lot of money was spent but Sevilla’s on-field success – whilst not totally drying up – notably dipped with successive league finishes outside the top five in La Liga and not landing any further cup success. This was always going to be a busy summer of comings and goings in Seville, and the first few weeks have born this out.
On 1 July, Sevilla announced their fourth summer arrival. Netherlands international striker Luuk de Jong joined from PSV Eindhoven in a deal worth a reported €12.5m. De Jong has netted 94 goals in the Eredivisie – the top-flight in the Netherlands – and his prolific nature is said to have attracted the attention of Los Rojiblancos.
The Netherlands international now looks set to be part of a renovation of Sevilla’s attacking ranks this summer, with Israeli striker Munas Dabbur already signed from RB Salzburg for a reported €15m. He netted a remarkable 37 goals last season for the Austrian club last season including 12 in European competition.
These deals have been offsets by the exit of Quincy Promes – another Dutch international – to Ajax and Luis Muriel to Atalanta, while Nolito looks set to depart for a mimimal fee and Wissam Ben Yedder also looks set to depart. His contract contains a €40m release clause and he is said to be attracting the attention of a series of top European clubs including Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain.
It’s not just upfront where there are critical changes for the side. Star midfielder Pablo Sarabia is joining Paris Saint-Germain in a €20m deal while Los Rojiblancos have already strengthened the heart of their midfield with the addition of the in-demand Joan Jordan from Eibar in a €15m move. Another incoming has been Nantes defender Diego Carlos, as Gabriel Mercado is set to exit on a free.
Sevilla have also been linked to a series of other players including Ajax attacking midfielder Hakim Ziyech and Romania Under-21 star Ianis Hagi, who impressed at this summer’s European Championships. The start of a very busy two months has just begun.
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