In: Loic Bade (Rennes), Adria Pedrosa (Espanyol), Federico Gattoni (San Lorenzo), Djibril Sow (Eintracht Frankfurt)
Loan returns: Oscar Rodriguez (Celta Vigo), Ivan Romero and Kike Salas (Tenerife), Adnan Januzaj (Basaksehir), Oussama Idrissi (Feyenoord), Thomas Delaney (Hoffenheim)
Out: Bryan Gil (Tottenham), Pape Gueye (Olympique Marseille), Alex Telles (Manchester United), Karim Rekik (Al Jazira), Rony Lopes (free, Braga), Jose Angel Carmona (loan, Getafe), Luismi (loan, Tenerife), Yassine Bounou (Al Hilal), Ludwig Augustinsson (loan, Anderlecht)
Summary so far: Where do you start? Sevilla were already having a dramatic window before it began with Jose Luis Mendilibar’s contract up for debate. After that Monchi left, and Victor Orta took some time to come in. So already, Sevilla are playing catch-up while coming to terms with the giant void left in experience, expertise and power by Monchi, even if he wasn’t at his brilliant best in the last couple of summers.
Bade proved to be their best central defender last season despite only being there for six months, and Gattoni is just 24 years of age, but joins having captained one of Argentina’s biggest sides in San Lorenzo – hard to argue with Monchi on those deals. Pedrosa is a little less convincing, but is free, and a cheap alternative to Marcos Acuna.
The loss of Gil and Gueye will be felt. While Mendilibar eventually moved away from Gueye, he showed just how much more dynamic Sevilla’s midfield could be with a vertical presence like the Frenchman. Equally, Gil is direct, aggressive and takes on his defenders. Although not always successful, he was a regular and adored by Mendilibar. Sevilla are likely to listen to offers for the recovered Tecatito Corona and returning Idrissi, so the Basque coach can’t even be sure if he will have someone who does a similar job.
Djibril Sow is a fairly impressive addition in midfield, it must be said. He can add an element of dynamism to the middle of the park that has been relying on Fernando Reges and Ivan Rakitic to command things. Given Mendilibar likes to play football at a frenetic pace, Sow will help him do so.
The exit of Rekik is a good job getting a fee for a player that never really shrugged off injuries. The fact that they gave Lopes, their record signing, a free transfer to Braga is symptomatic of just how desperate some of their recent deals have turned out. Yassine Bounou is a loss in terms of quality, but taking into account his age, the fact they have a replacement in Marko Dmitrovic, and their financial situation, it’s a brilliant deal.
Orta has now cut their numbers down to ‘just’ 29, so further exits are needed and time is now running short. Sevilla will not underperform as much as they did last season, but not many people would make the argument that this squad is stronger than last year.
All in all, Mendilibar was asked to take over in difficult circumstance, as was Orta, and it will be an impressive window if the former starts the season with a squad he feels has been shaped to his desires.
Key Need: Sow addressed the original part of this section, which was a more mobile midfielder with the exit of Gueye, so we’re considering that checked off the list.
It really is a testament to Youssef En-Nesyri’s form last season that this is no longer *the* key need for Sevilla, but they might want to look at another forward. En-Nesyri at his best is a handful for any defence, but is still yet to put together more than four good months throughout a season. Since Wissam Ben Yedder left in 2019, Sevillistas have been unable to see one of their strikers face a goalkeeper and feel confident.
Even if En-Nesyri remains – you imagine they might hint at another large money move to the Premier League – then an alternative option with goals in his boots would be a delightful addition. Rafa Mir is 26, like his Moroccan teammate, but remains more raw materials than refined product. It has been a long time since they had a clinical finisher, but it shouldn’t be overlooked any longer. It’s been no secret that he has been keen on a move to Valencia this summer, and Sevillistas will no doubt hope that will free up space for an En-Nesyri alternative.
Beneath the Surface: Realistically, it feels irresponsible to be recommending any signings until 5 or 6 further sales and loans. Nevertheless, one of the frequent stories of the summer has been potential moves for Gonzalo Montiel, including a potential move back to River Plate. The 26-year-old is being investigated for sexual assault in Argentina, which might be decisive, but neither has he unanimously won over the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.
Regardless of the rationale, if he does leave, only Jesus Navas remains as a natural right-back. Juanlu Sanchez has returned from Mirandes and been given a chance. If Mendilibar does not trust him long-term, an alternative would be handy. The 37-year-old Navas has certainly proven he is superhuman, but it feels like due diligence for Sevilla to look not only for cover, but ideally a long-term solution.
