By OkayGoal 
There was a time, not so long ago, when Sevilla were masters of the art of negotiating transfer windows. Key players would leave, but invariably at the right time, and more importantly right price. That money would mostly be reinvested, with the recruitment often second to none during Monchi’s two spells at the club.
Six summers ago, they spent close to €200m with Jules Kounde, Youssef En-Nesyri, Diego Carlos and Lucas Ocampos among the additions that would deliver a sixth Europa League triumph in the 2019/20 season.
This year, their only expenditure (according to transfermarkt’s figures) was the €250k loan fee needed to secure the services of midfielder Batista Mendy from Trabzonspor.
They are operating in a completely different market these days. That’s a reflection on the now deep-rooted internal issues at the club, another season without European football, as well as perhaps a wider trend that is making it harder for LaLiga clubs outside of the ‘big three’ to compete.
Key duo depart
Sevilla have raised more than €50m this summer, chiefly by selling their best player at each end of the pitch. Both sales came late in the window, with Loic Bade moving to Bayer Leverkusen for €25m, while Dodi Lukebakio completed a switch to Benfica for €20m.
Both will be badly missed. In both cases, it could also be argued that they have sold players out of necessity, and below the market rate in a window that saw 50 deals completed globally involving sums of €35m or more.
The Andalusian club’s director of football, Antonio Cordon, paints a different picture. “They are players that are worth a lot of money and therefore have been the best sales,” he claimed, speaking on deadline day.
“We always sell well and for relatively a lot of money. Everyone knows the circumstances. We must roll our sleeves up and work harder as a group. Our strength will be the group, the manager, the fans and staff.
“This is how the club will grow. Between sales and changes of contracts, a sum of €80-85m euros has been recuperated. We were able to invest €10-12m. There have been free transfers, we have not bought anyone, but this is the grandeur of football.”
Sevilla also sold 20-year-old Stanis Idumbo to Monaco for €10m. They’ve further reduced the wage bill following the expiration of loan deals for Saul Ñiguez and Albert Sambi Lokonga, while Kelechi Iheanacho and Suso departed on free transfers.
In better news as far as followers of Los Nervionenses are concerned, academy product Juanlu Sanchez finally stayed put, despite weeks of speculation linking him with a switch to Italian champions Napoli.
Veterans arrive
Youngsters Ramon Martinez and Andres Castrin have been promoted to the senior squad, but Sevilla’s summer business has largely centred around trying to bring in experience.
Four of their seven new additions are over the age of 30, while none are younger than 25. Again, this is an approach that feels very far removed from the strategy that had largely served them so well in the transfer market during the Monchi years.
There is zero chance of their highest-profile additions Alexis Sanchez or Cesar Azpilicueta being sold on for a profit in future windows. Both players are now 36, and Azpilicueta should at least bring in a wise head and degree of leadership that should benefit an otherwise youthful backline.
However, the signing of Alexis feels more like a shot in the dark on a player whose best years are well and truly in the rear-view mirror. The Chilean registered no goals and no assists in 13 appearances in Serie A last term for Udinese.
31-year-olds Fabio Cardoso and Odysseas Vlachodimos have also arrived as alternative options in central defence and between the sticks. Fellow new boys Alfon Gonzalez and Gabriel Suazo could have bigger roles to play, and both started the 2-0 victory at Girona on Saturday, which secured Sevilla’s first points of the season.
Is survival the only goal?
Sevilla finished 17th last term. That was despite the goals of Lukebakio, who scored 26% of his team’s total.
Therefore, they were not exactly approaching this window from a strong base, and having since cashed in on key players, it’s hardly a giant leap to suggest they could be relegation candidates in LaLiga 2025/26.
With so many old heads coming in, their business points towards a squad that has been constructed to survive, but not thrive. There is virtually no sign of any kind of long-term vision that might ultimately lead to Sevilla rising up to compete at the right end of the table again.
It’s therefore unsurprising that this is now just about the most restless fanbase in Spain. While most of the anger is directed at the club’s hierarchy, rather than the team, it’s not hard to envisage a scenario where this campaign at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan could completely implode.
Almeyda is no novice, and would have had a good idea of what he was walking into when he agreed to become the club’s seventh permanent boss in less than three years.
His five predecessors have lasted for periods of between 14 and 34 matches in all competitions, with none seeing out a full season. Perhaps encouragingly, the Argentine has overseen at least 60 games in all of his previous five coaching roles, and he’s needed to put out the odd fire during that time.
However, this may rank as the toughest challenge of his career to date. The 51-year-old must now find a way to pick up the pieces after a hectic end to the transfer window and construct a team capable of being competitive.
If he fails, the trapdoor to the Segunda Division may well await Sevilla.