Sevilla were always set for a chaotic transfer market this summer, and the days after the window shut have not calmed matters either.
Former Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos is set to return to his hometown club on a free, while Los Nervionenses have confirmed the arrival of another former Real Madrid player in Mariano Diaz.
The Dominican international is also a free agent after his deal expired at the Santiago Bernabeu, and replaces Ivan Romero as part of Sevilla’s striking options alongside Rafa Mir and Youssef En-Nesyri.
However Sevilla’s Sporting Director Victor Orta explained the decision to club media, and it certainly raised a few eyebrows.
“At the last minute, a market opportunity arises. An opportunity that we analysed. An opportunity appears that is basically the cost of Ivan Romero.”
“And it’s Mariano Diaz. With his pros, with his cons, after three years of basically not competing. We’re not stupid, we watch YouTube. We looked at his salary.”
No puede ser que Víctor Orta haya dicho que "miramos Youtube" para explicar el fichaje de Mariano. pic.twitter.com/4HdI2S0jOS
— FútbolFantasy (@futbol_fantasy) September 3, 2023
“But in a situation of analysis, where we talked to the footballer, we see his determination to come to Sevilla, we see his determination to help out. We see that he has internalised these bad years and wants to turn them into his time for revenge.”
Orta explains that they had intended on Romero remaining with them before going to Levante, while noting that Mariano had waited out until the last moment for an offer in Europe, rather than heading to the UAE, Saudi Arabia or Major League Soccer, where Orta claims he had options.
While his key explanation is that the attitude of Mariano is what persuaded Sevilla to take a risk on him, it has raised many an eyebrow Orta mentions YouTube as a tool for evaluating anyone. It’s likely it was a turn of phrase, but either way it is unlikely to go down well with Sevillistas, who are already sceptical about their transfer business.
