Sporting director Monchi returned to Sevilla last summer and set to work immediately.
Julen Lopetegui came in as manager, and needed a new look squad to take the club forward after an up and down few seasons.
Monchi’s magic worked straight away, and players like Lucas Ocampos, Digo Carlos, Jules Koundé and Sergio Reguilon were instant successes once the season began.
There were sales too, as the club looked to balance the books, but they came out of a hectic summer looking much stronger than they’d gone into it, and that was borne out on the field in the Autumn as they looked one of the best teams in the division early on.
They’re not the finished article though, and more work is needed this summer. It will not be an easy task, given the circumstances, but the global chaos might be just the right environment for Monchi to thrive.
There will be smaller clubs looking to sell their best players to raise money, and big clubs looking to trim their wage bills by moving on squad players.
Everyone will be facing the same difficulties, but having a certified market master like Monchi on your side might actually make a bad situation into a good one.
If anyone has the skills to benefit from a dynamic and potentially very lopsided transfer window, it’s him. Sevilla could see another summer of major changes, and come out looking stronger than ever.
