We like a good story of a player turning things around from time to time. So, step up José Ángel Carmona. He’s apparently won over Sevilla fans despite annoying them in the summer when he turned down Nottingham Forest.
That’s according to ABC, who cover the winger today and how he’s now a firm fan favourite after a tense summer transfer window.
They explain that there are currently four players who have become key for manager Matías Almeyda and Carmona is one of them. In fact, since the start of the season, nobody has accumulated more minutes than him.
It’s an interesting turnaround for him after a summer in which it looked likely he’d depart. Nottingham Forest offered €11m at that point, but he rejected the transfer and decided to stay with Sevilla.
This decision ‘generated some controversy’ among Sevilla’s fans. They’d been left unimpressed with him in pre-season. A move to the Premier League was seen as ‘a good solution for everyone’.
Nottingham Forest snub was addressed in September
Carmona himself addressed the backlash in September: “Nottingham Forest are a team that’s doing well. It was about playing in the Premier League, and the offer was very good financially for me and my family, but I felt it wasn’t the time to leave,” he said.
“I’ve been fighting to be in the first team since I was 7. I didn’t want to leave after leaving Sevilla in 17th place. If I leave the club of my life, which isn’t in my plans, let it be when things have gone well.
“I understand that the fans were looking out for the club and thought I could leave money for the club, but that wasn’t my idea. They gave me a hard time, but after being here since I was a child, I’m not going to change my mind just because someone tells me I have to leave. And I think I made the right decision.”
However, Carmona has now turned things around. He is one of the outstanding players in his position in La Liga and significantly increased his value too. The suggestion is that everyone is now very pleased he didn’t join Nottingham Forest.
How long the love lasts at Sevilla, is up for debate. But for now, it seems Carmona is back in favour, and everyone is glad his exit never went through.