Newcastle close in on £30m deal for Sevilla defender Diego Carlos

Diego Carlos appears to have succeeded in forcing a move from Sevilla to Newcastle United and could be registered for Eddie Howe’s team in time to make his debut during Saturday’s vital Premier League game at Leeds United.

Shortly after the 28-year-old Brazilian centre-back submitted a formal transfer request, Sevilla – who had rejected two Newcastle bids – appeared to concede defeat in their attempts to retain him and began advanced negotiations over a potential deal in the region of £30m.

With Newcastle second bottom and having won only one game all season while conceding 43 Premier League goals, Howe has identified signing at least one central defender as an imperative.

When Lille rejected his attempt to buy their 21-year-old Netherlands defender Sven Botman, Newcastle swiftly switched their attention to Carlos, who would need to be registered by midday on Friday to be involved at Leeds.

Having begun his career in Brazil with Deportivo Brasil, Carlos moved to Portugal, playing for Estoril, and then France before joining Sevilla from Nantes in 2019, helping the team currently second in La Liga win the Europa League in 2020.

He would be Howe’s third signing, joining the England right-back Kieran Trippier, acquired from Atlético Madrid for £15m, and the centre-forward Chris Wood, a £25m buy from Burnley.