Who is Diego Carlos? The £30m man tasked with plugging Newcastle's defence
Newcastle have made a couple of somewhat astute signings this month already. Granted, Kieran Trippier and Chris Wood don't boast the star power as others linked with a move to St. James' Park in recent months following their high profile takeover and limitless funding, but they're Premier League experienced players that improve the defence and attack.
However, the pair may be crucial pieces, but the jigsaw is far from finished. Newcastle still occupy one of three relegation places, while Joao Pedro's late equaliser for Watford last weekend was the 43rd goal they have conceded this season; only Norwich (45) have shipped more. With a little over 10 days until the January transfer window closes, Newcastle are seeking to bring in at least one centre-back.
Sven Botman was the stand out target, but Lille's reluctance to cash in on the Dutchman this month pushed the Magpies back to square one. James Tarkowski was also linked, yet Diego Carlos is set to be the first new centre-back through the door for Howe and Newcastle at the time of writing. A first team regular since joining from Nantes in 2019, Sevilla will obviously be sad to see the back of the Brazilian, yet with Newcastle matching the rumoured £30m asking price for a player who turns 29 in March, the La Liga side are prepared to gamble on his exit.
Should Sevilla, as expected, cash in on Carlos, then they'll be losing a player who is key to their possession based approach under Julen Lopetegui. Only Barcelona (64.6%) see more of the ball than Sevilla (60.6%) in Spain's top tier this term, while an 85.5% pass success rate is the third best in the division. For both, Carlos' style of play is crucial. Indeed, he has made more accurate passes (1148) than any other defender in La Liga this season, while only pass master Sergio Busquets (1249) has made more overall.
A need to play out from defence allows Sevilla to dominate and while Carlos doesn't find a teammate with the same regularity as his La Liga peers, an 88.4% pass success rate is still a commendable return, though that does rank sixth for his side. Yet when the going does get tough for his team, Carlos won't be afraid to put his body between the ball and the Sevilla goal, and this is perhaps a crucial reason behind Newcastle's interest in the player.
Carlos has blocked more shots (21) than any other player in La Liga this season and the no holds barred approach, coupled with the more cultured side to his game, has seen Sevilla ship fewer goals (13) than any other Spanish top-flight side. Both aspects will be key for Newcastle. Howe's side place last for possession (37.8%) and rank fifth from bottom for pass success rate (74.7%), so a defender with Carlos' skillset would ubdoubtedly help Newcastle control games better than they do now, and also add another body to the defence that isn't afraid to throw himself in the line of fire to protect the goal.
That being said, there are negatives to Carlos' game that could prove costly in the weeks and months to come as Newcastle seek to consolidate their Premier League spot. He has committed 109 fouls since his 2019 arrival, that the 28th highest in the division, and has been booked 16 times, though it is worth noting that both have dropped considerably this season. On top of that, Carlos has conceded three penalties since the start of the 2020/21 La Liga season, not a substantial return, but still the third most in the division.
Meanwhile, over the same period, only Leeds and Wolves (both 12) have conceded more penalties than Newcastle (11) in the Premier League, while no player has done so more times than Magpies centre-back, and Carlos' likely centre-back partner, Jamal Lascelles in that time.
Carlos has been linked with a Premier League switch in the past, with Liverpool previously keeping tabs on the defender, so he does have admirers in England, yet his capture could prove a risky one. Sevilla and Newcastle both play very different styles of football, but at this stage, the Magpies need to do all they can to plug the gap at the back.
