Cordón's summer transfer magic: How Sevilla's director pulled rabbits from empty hats
A look at how Antonio Cordón managed Sevilla's most austere transfer window in two decades, with surprising success despite severe financial constraints.
Faced with Sevilla’s tightest budget in 20 years, sporting director Antonio Cordón somehow crafted a functional squad through shrewd free transfers and loans that’s exceeding expectations.
Summer of austerity
When Cordón arrived at Sevilla last June, he inherited what you might call a proper ‘mare of a situation. With virtually no bread and butter to spend, he needed to build a competitive squad while simultaneously shipping out high earners.
His early business showed promise:
- Gabriel Suazo arrived on a free after terminating his Toulouse contract
- Odysseas Vlachodimos joined on loan from Newcastle
The real grafting happened in the final stretch of the window. Cordón sold Loïc Badé, Stanis Idumbo and Dodi Lukébakio, released Kelechi Iheanacho, and loaned out Adrià Pedrosa and Rafa Mir. Meanwhile, he brought in César Azpilicueta, Fábio Cardoso and Alexis Sánchez for free, plus Batista Mendy on loan from Trabzonspor for a mere €250,000.
Three key reinforcements
Among Sevilla’s ten most-used players this season, three are Cordón signings:
Vlachodimos has been an absolute diamond between the sticks. Since taking the number one spot from Nyland, the Greek keeper has been earning points single-handedly behind a shaky defence. In 14 matches, he’s conceded 19 goals and kept three clean sheets. If he maintains this form, keeping him beyond his loan looks about as likely as finding a penguin in the Sahara.
Suazo has been Mr. Consistent despite occasional blips like against Mallorca. The Chilean leads La Liga in successful tackles (36) and has provided two assists from set-pieces in his 13 appearances. His only limitation seems to be fatigue from playing so many minutes for both club and country.
Mendy brings more than just muscle to midfield – his tactical intelligence allows him to cover vast areas effectively. Despite being the eighth most-fouling player in La Liga (27), he’s only received two yellows in a team that’s accumulated 55 cards. His €7m purchase option looks a proper bargain given his potential.
Experience when it matters
Cordón targeted veteran players to strengthen the dressing room mentality:
Azpilicueta, at 36, has become Sevilla’s best defender. The team has conceded just 9 goals in 8 matches with him playing, compared to 20 in 13 without him. Unfortunately, fitness issues have limited his availability.
Alexis Sánchez was Cordón’s most headline-grabbing signing. Even at 37, he’s clearly the most technically gifted player in the squad. After a promising start with two goals and an assist in his first five matches, injuries slowed him down until his standout performance at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Fábio Cardoso has played the least of all the new signings but has started in four matches resulting in three wins and one defeat. Though not always convincing, his experience has helped secure two clean sheets.
January challenges ahead
Given the financial straitjacket he was working within, Cordón can feel chuffed with his summer business. The January window presents another massive challenge, with more assets likely needing to be sold and even less room for error.
For a bloke who had to make bricks without straw, Cordón’s work so far suggests Sevilla might have found the right man for these testing times.