Sevilla say Newcastle offer for Diego Carlos ‘insufficient’ and talks are over

Sevilla have ended negotiations with Newcastle over Diego Carlos and do not expect the central defender to depart during the transfer window. Final conversations between the clubs were held three days ago, with Newcastle’s offer rejected because it was insufficient and Sevilla would not have been able to adequately replace him at short notice.

Sevilla’s sporting director, Monchi, admitted that had the offer arrived in the summer it might have been different but he considers this market closed. The only way Newcastle could sign Diego Carlos would be to pay his €70m (£58.4m) buyout clause. Monchi said the defender was happy at Sevilla and the captain, Ivan Rakitic, insisted “sometimes it is a big opportunity but Diego and other players know what they have here”.

“The offer was very important, respectful, but it was an offer that our board considered insufficient,” Monchi said during a conference call set up by La Liga. “It is also true that it was maybe not the best time. It’s a difficult market in which to find a replacement for him. If the offer had come in the summer, things may have been different. Jules [Koundé] is a magnificent player and I would say the same about Diego Carlos. I think he is one of the top five central defenders in Europe.

“I was talking to Diego Carlos this morning and he was happy,” Monchi added, joking: “Given how strong he is, if he wasn’t I might have had to change my mind.

“I want to go on holiday as soon as this call is over so if there are no signings while we’re talking, it’s finished. You never know – for as long as it is open, anything can happen – but our idea is that the market is over.”

Rakitic acknowledged the Premier League was “a dream for a lot of players” but said: “Sevilla have