Diego Carlos has attracted £30m offers from Newcastle and a London Premier League club; an Italian side have also bid for Carlos but their offer is worth less than the English clubs'; Sevilla want Carlos to play against Celta Vigo on Saturday before letting him leave
Thursday 20 January 2022 19:16, UK
Newcastle are moving closer to a deal for Diego Carlos but still face competition to sign the Sevilla defender from another Premier League club, thought to be in London.
All parties are hopeful a deal can be done for Carlos, who submitted a transfer request on Tuesday but played for Sevilla in their 1-1 draw with Valencia a day later.
Sevilla want Carlos to play against Celta Vigo on Saturday and will then be much more likely to let him leave for a suitable offer.
Newcastle are understood to have made a £30m offer for the Brazilian defender, but it has been matched by a Premier League rival, with the club in question understood to be based in London.
The 28-year-old will choose which club he wants to sign for, but the unnamed London team is not believed to be West Ham or Arsenal.
Chelsea tried to sign Sevilla's other first-choice centre-back Jules Kounde last summer.
An Italian club have also tabled a bid for Carlos, but it is believed to be worth less than the fee offered by the English sides.
Sevilla are willing to sell Carlos - who was part of Brazil's gold-medal winning squad at last summer's Tokyo Olympics - if their asking price is met.
However, Newcastle are unwilling to pay more than they believe Carlos is worth and have other centre-back targets they can pursue.
The Magpies are keen on Benoit Badiashile, but the Monaco defender's current injury and his club's €60m (£49.9m) asking price are significant stumbling blocks to any deal.
Newcastle are also interested in Attila Szalai, although AC Milan are also tracking the Fenerbahce defender, who would cost around €20m (£16.6m).
The Premier League side also made offers for Sven Botman this month, but have so far not matched Lille's £36m asking price.
Eddie Howe's desire to improve his defence is understandable, with Newcastle having conceded 43 goals in 20 Premier League games this season. Only Norwich have a worse defensive record.
Leicester, meanwhile, are not interested in a deal for Carlos.
Manager Brendan Rodgers is reconsidering his plans to target a centre-back on loan in January, partly because the squad's injury problems are easing and partly because Leicester's recruitment team are struggling to find a player of the right profile.
Sky Sports News' Kaveh Solhekol:
"The latest information we have about Newcastle's move for Diego Carlos is that Sevilla want to keep him for their game this weekend. After that there is the expectation that Sevilla will do a deal - then it will be up to the player to decide where he wants to go.
"He has an offer from Newcastle and they have been in the driving seat, but there is also another Premier League club in London who have made an offer for him. We believe it matches the bid that Newcastle have made, which is about £30m. I think this weekend the player himself will have to decide where he wants to go.
"I'm not in a position to say what club it is, but I know for a fact that Spurs have had a long-term interest in the player and they have been watching him closely for a long time.
"But then I suppose you could make the case for Chelsea as well because Antonio Rudiger could be leaving, Andreas Christensen could be leaving in the summer as well, maybe they are in the market for a centre-back. But I haven't heard them being linked with Diego Carlos.
"If you are a Newcastle United fan I think you are going to have to wait until this weekend. This other club that have come into the picture have complicated the issue."
South American Football Expert Tim Vickery told Sky Sports News:
"Carlos has come up the hard way. He came through Portugal and France before arriving in Spain and making his name there.
"He's got a lot to offer. He's a very competitive centre-back with an air of swagger and class about him.
"Yes, there are mistakes in him and yes, he can be reckless but I think he's got a lot to offer Newcastle or another Premier League club.
"If Newcastle is going to be his destination, it's a huge club. Why wouldn't you want to be a part of a huge project to get a club back on its feet and competing for honours again?"
Who will be on the move in January?
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