Pundit can’t believe Newcastle could sign Carlos after source’s £50m bid news today
Noel Whelan has urged Newcastle to “walk away” from a deal for Sevilla defender Diego Carlos amid new interest from Tottenham.
The former Leeds striker, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, claimed the Spanish club are “chancing their arm” because of the Magpies’ perilous league position.
As revealed by Football Insider today (25 January), Tottenham have opened preliminary talks with Sevilla over Carlos, 28, with Giovani Lo Celso potentially going the other way.
Newcastle have had a bid of more than £30million for the Brazil international rejected.
A Tottenham source told Football Insider that the Spanish giants value the former Nantes star at £50million.
Whelan insisted spending that kind of money this month “will not be beneficial” for Newcastle “in the long run”.
“They’ve got to walk away,” he told Football Insider‘s Ewan Kingsbury.
“There’s a player in him, there’s no doubt about it – but £30million should be more than enough. It’s huge. At that age, that £50m fee is far too high.
“You can go out and get two top-class centre-halves for that type of money, and that’s exactly what Newcastle should do if Sevilla are holding out for that much.
“That’s one where the selling club are really chancing their arm because they know the money that these new owners have.
“In the long run, looking further down the line, that deal will not be beneficial for Newcastle.”
Newcastle sit 18th in the Premier League and are just one point from safety.
Carlos has played 21 La Liga games for high-flying Sevilla this season, scoring twice.
In other news, medical guru predicts Newcastle star could need surgery after injury blow.