Newcastle could finally axe shocking £55k-p/w liability with £40.5m-rated "tank" - opinion

Newcastle United remain interested in a deal to sign Sevilla defender Diego Carlos this summer…

Reports during the January transfer window revealed that the Magpies saw a couple of bids for the Brazil international turned down by the La Liga side, with Eddie Howe then turning his attentions towards Brighton’s Dan Burn to bolster his defence.

However, according to The Chronicle, Carlos is still of interest to the Tyneside club, who could head back to the negotiating table this summer in order to finally lure him to St James’ Park.

With Fabian Schar and Burn the preferred centre-back partnership in recent weeks, club captain Jamaal Lascelles has found himself sidelined, and that’s no surprise given his general performances this season.

Some Newcastle fans took to Twitter to criticise the defender for his display against Watford, when he lost his battle in the air to allow Joao Pedro to score the equaliser.

That followed on from a particularly disastrous game against Arsenal, and his role in allowing Bukayo Saka to score the opening goal, with Magpies legend Alan Shearer venting: “He has got to realise that Saka is the problem, he has got to engage, he has got to come over a second earlier and do that rather than stand there and do nothing with his hands in the air. It’s terrible defending.”

Indeed, with an average WhoScored match rating of just 6.49, Lascelles is Newcastle’s second-worst performing centre-back to have started more than ten games this season, with only Ciaran Clark behind him.

In Carlos, the Magpies would get the chance to bring in a man of real quality and European pedigree from his time in Spain.

The 29-year-old would give the Magpies a monstrous defensive presence were he to join, boasting an impressive