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Brighton and Hove Albion are ‘willing to pay’ to sign Juanlu Sánchez from Sevilla in the January transfer window, when the Spanish side ‘will practically be forced’ to sell someone to help balance the books.

That’s according to La Colina de Nervión, who say sporting director Victor Orta will be forced to find ways to settle the club’s accounts in the coming weeks after they were completely knocked out of Europe.

That means their income will be much lower and the idea is to sell players, at least one, to help bring in funds.

Juanlu Sánchez is one of the options being managed as his current release clause is set to release from €15m to €25m at the beginning of 2024.

He has two sides interested in him, Brighton and Osasuna, who are ‘willing to pay’ those figures to ensure they can get their man.

They’re both showing ‘great interest’ in the full-back, who has enjoyed a great emergence at the beginning of this season and even replaced veteran Jesús Navas.

Both clubs ‘intend to make a formal offer’ for the player and Sevilla know that Brighton in particular could pay his termination clause quite easily.

They already approached Sevilla in the summer and made it clear they wanted the defender, betting on Roberto de Zerbi’s strong record developing youth players to convince him of the move.

That will presumably be their argument again, with the growing belief in Spain that they will return and could even take the matter out of Sevilla’s hands by paying his release clause.