LaLiga gives Sevilla green light as Marcao injury opens salary space
Sevilla receive permission to deregister injured Marcao, clearing the way for Neal Maupay's arrival from Marseille as the club juggles their wage bill to comply with LaLiga rules.
Sevilla have received the official go-ahead from LaLiga’s medical tribunal to deregister Marcao from their squad list after the Brazilian defender suffered a long-term injury that will keep him sidelined for at least four months.
Injury creates wage bill flexibility
The Brazilian centre-back underwent surgery yesterday for a scaphoid bone fracture in his left foot, sustained during a recent training session. LaLiga’s medical committee has confirmed the injury meets their criteria for long-term absence, giving Sevilla some much-needed breathing space with their wage bill.
This bureaucratic victory couldn’t have come at a better time for the Nervión club, who are in the middle of reshuffling their squad during the January transfer window.
Maupay arrives as Alfon departs
The timing is absolutely spot on for Sevilla’s transfer plans. Neal Maupay touched down at San Pablo Airport this morning for his medical and to sign on the dotted line once all the paperwork’s sorted. The French striker arrives from Marseille on a loan deal with a non-mandatory purchase option worth approximately €5 million.
Meanwhile, Villarreal will officially announce this afternoon that they’ve secured Alfon González on loan until June, also with a non-mandatory purchase option. Between offloading a portion of Alfon’s wages and removing Marcao’s salary from the books, Sevilla have created just enough financial wiggle room to register Maupay while staying within LaLiga’s strict salary cap regulations.
The new striker will be looking to get straight down to business under manager Matías Almeyda once the administrative bits and bobs are sorted. Sevilla fans will be hoping Maupay can provide the goalscoring touch they’ve been crying out for this season.
It’s a proper game of financial Jenga that Sevilla are playing here, but they seem to have found a solution that keeps them on the right side of the bean counters while strengthening their squad for the second half of the season.