For reasons we can’t fathom, many in the Spanish media seem to think Newcastle United players are much cheaper than they’re actually likely to be.
It’s happened with countless Ayoze Perez claims and more recently Mikel Merino has been linked with moves to La Liga at prices which don’t make a great deal of sense.
Now it’s the turn of Florian Lejeune.
After a difficult to start to his Newcastle career, due to injury, Lejeune quietly went about making himself an important part of Rafael Benitez’s side. The 27 year old has formed a good partnership with 24 year old Jamaal Lascelles and has proven to be a real leader on the pitch.
Estadio Deportivo go with a headline reading ‘Sevilla want Lejeune’ and it’s explained in their article that new coach Pablo Machin would like to work again with the defender he had at Girona, where he was on loan from Manchester City.
A problem for Sevilla, according to the claims is that Newcastle paid €10m and will want a ‘surplus’ on that.
They probably think that means something around €15m, although it’s not stated, but Newcastle would surely be looking at much more and want a fee which would kill any Sevilla interest. There is little point in buying a player, settling him in, and then selling again only to have to find another defender.
This signing is almost certainly more difficult than some in Seville seem to believe.
