Newcastle have signed several fairly shrewd transfers this month. Admittedly, Trippier and Wood don't have the same star-like influence as other players who have been linked by the media to move to St James' Park in recent months, even without their high-profile acquisitions and unlimited funding, but they are experienced players in the Premier League who have improved their defense and attack. However, this signing may be crucial for new signings, but the puzzle is far from complete. Newcastle still hold one of three relegation positions, while Joao Pedro's equaliser for Watford last weekend was their 43rd goal of the season, with only Norwich (45) conceding more. With more than 10 days to go until the January transfer window closes, Newcastle are looking to bring in at least one centre-back.
Botman was the preferred target, but Lille was reluctant to make money from the Dutch this month, which brought the Magpies back to square one. James Tarkovsky has also been linked, but Diego Carlos is likely to be the first new centre-back signed by Eddie Howe and Newcastle. The Sevilla toughster has been a first-team player since joining Nantes in 2019 and it will obviously be sad to see the Brazilian go, however, with Newcastle acquiring a player who is about to turn 29 in March for £30 million, La Liga side is poised to take the deal.
If Sevilla sell Carlos as expected, then they will lose a key player in possession under Lopetegui. Of the Spanish top flights this season, only Barcelona (64.6 per cent) had a higher possession rate than Sevilla (60.6 per cent), while the 85.5 per cent pass success rate was the third-best performance in the league. For both the offensive and defensive ends, Carlos's style of play is crucial. In fact, he has surpassed any other defender in more accurate passes in La Liga this season (1148), and only passmaster Sergio Busquets (1249) has a better pass. Sevilla need to control the ball on the defensive end, which allows the team to dominate the game. Carlos is also constantly improving his passing stats under the inspiration and influence of his teammates, and the 88.4% pass success rate is still commendable data, which is sixth for his team. However, when his side faces difficulties, Carlos is not afraid to put his body between football and the Sevilla goal, which is perhaps another key reason why Newcastle is interested in this player.
Carlos has blocked more times in La Liga this season (21 times) than any other player, and the strong performance of the defensive line, coupled with the fact that the team is often the dominant side in the game, Sevilla has conceded fewer goals (14 times) than any other top Spanish team. Both of these aspects are key to Newcastle. Howe's possession rate (37.8 per cent) is at the bottom of the Premier League and his passing success rate (74.7 per cent) is fifth to last, so Carlos' defensive skills will undoubtedly help Newcastle control the game better than he does now, while also adding another level of intensity to the defence, where he is not afraid to physically confront the opposing striker or do everything he can to protect the goal.
Still, Carlos has some minor problems with his game and it will be a costly hazard for Newcastle to consolidate their position in the Premier League in the coming weeks and months. He has had 109 fouls since joining in 2019, which is 28th in the league and has been shown yellow cards 16 times, but it's worth noting that both foul numbers have dropped significantly this season. In addition to this, Carlos has given his opponent three penalties since the start of the 2020-21 La Liga season, which is not a statistic worth fussing about, but it is still the third most in the league. Meanwhile, in the same period, only Leeds and Wolves (each 12) have sent more points than Newcastle (11) in the Premier League, and no player has done so more often than Mavericks centre-back, Carlos' possible centre-back partner Jamal Ruscells during that time.
Carlos has been linked to Premier League transfers in the past and Liverpool have been following the defender before, so he does have a lot of suitors in England, but his move could be a risky move. Sevilla and Newcastle have very different styles of football, but at this stage, the Magpies need to do everything they can to improve the ability of the defenders.