Newcastle must swoop for £52k-p/w colossus in the summer, he'll be an upgrade on Burn - opinion

Newcastle United have learned the latest information regarding the future of transfer target Diego Carlos, who the Magpies are still keen to sign after a failed attempt in January.

According to The Mirror, the 28-year-old extended his contract at Sevilla last year, with a £67m release clause inserted into the deal which wasn’t announced by the Spanish club publicly.

Speaking to Spanish outlet Mucho Deporte [via The Mirror], Sevilla chief Monchi revealed: “We’ve renewed [the contracts of] Diego Carlos and [Lucas] Ocampos 14 months ago. We didn’t announce it for strategic reasons.”

Newcastle now find themselves in an even trickier predicament in their attempt to lure the Brazilian defender to Tyneside, with a fee which would substantially beat their record transfer fee paid for Joelinton in 2019 almost certainly required.

Despite the price tag, Newcastle will be seriously backed financially in the summer window by PIF, with the consortium having the deepest pockets in football. Therefore, the £67m release clause shouldn’t immediately prevent the Magpies from doing a deal.

The centre-back, who turns 29 on Tuesday, has been a kingpin for Sevilla this season, with the La Liga outfit still in the title race despite Real Madrid’s hefty eight-point lead at the summit.

Moreover, Los Nervionenses have the Spanish top-flight’s best defence, having conceded just 18 goals in 27 games. Carlos has been a major contributor to that feat, having played in 25 of those matches.

The Brazilian has already made 127 appearances for Sevilla after signing from Ligue 1 outfit Nantes in 2019. However, with Carlos having made 36 appearances in all competitions this term, the 28-year-old is on course for his best season at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan