Real Betis have serious problems in central defence. Marc Bartra injured his Achilles tendon recently, meaning that he will be out of action for several months. As a result, head coach Manuel Pellegrini has just German Pezzella and Chadi Riad, who isn’t registered for European matches, as natural first team options.
With a hectic schedule during the first half of the season, including matches in both La Liga and the Europa League, Betis had looked to bring in a free agent centre-back, although this has now been ruled out due to financial reasons.
Sporting Director Ramon Planes will now look to do business in January instead, and according to Marca, he is eyeing up a move for River Plate’s Paulo Diaz. The Chilean international would not be overly expensive, as his contract expires at the end of 2024.
The problem Real Betis have with Diaz is that he would take up a non-EU spot in their squad, and all three are currently taken by Luiz Henrique, Abner and Willian Jose. However, the latter can apply for Spanish citizenship soon, which would eradicate this issue.
