According to Sport, FC Barcelona want to sign Sevilla defender Diego Carlos. He is also a major Liverpool transfer target.
Barcelona Prepare to Steal Liverpool Defensive Transfer Target, Diego Carlos
Highly Valued by Both Teams
Carlos would be Liverpool’s starting centre-back next to Van Dijk. With Joel Matip and Joe Gomez already filling this position quite well, it is clear how highly valued Carlos is to Jurgen Klopp. According to ABC Sevilla, Liverpool have already contacted Sevilla about the deal.
However, Barcelona will not be beaten easily to the signature. They also highly value Diego Carlos and has been identified as their main defensive transfer target. With Gerard Pique entering the latter stages of his career, Barca need to sign a younger player to step in at the centre-back role. They have identified Carlos as the man to do the job.
Barcelona Hatch a Plan to Complete the Deal
The latest reports suggest that Barcelona are not willing to pay his current £65 million asking price. However, they are hatching a plan to complete the deal anyway. Barca are hoping to use Ivan Rakitic to balance out the deal.
Rakitic has fallen out of favour in Barcelona, only starting ten La Liga games this season. A swap deal with Carlos and Rakitic makes a lot of sense for both clubs. It would soften the financial blow to Barcelona, while also being a good move for Sevilla, as they gain a major player to soften the blow of losing Carlos.
The deal also makes sense for both players involved. Carlos would be making a big step in his career, becoming a starter at a big club like Barcelona, while Rakitic would begin to enter the ending stages of his career and return to his former club, Sevilla.
Why Diego Carlos?
Diego Carlos has had an excellent season so far, starting 22 La Liga games averaging 4.8 clearances and an 83.4% pass-accuracy rate. This has attracted interest from many top sides including Napoli and Real Madrid.
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