Newcastle United have a potential problem on their hands, with one of their stars dropping a big hint that he is desperate to leave the club permanently this summer.
It’s a somewhat familiar situation for the Magpies, who lost Alexander Isak to Liverpool last summer after the striker refused to train, before eventually getting his move to Anfield.
The player in question this time is goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos, and although he’s not in Eddie Howe’s plans, this still poses a problem for Newcastle in a financial sense.
The 31-year-old Greek international joined Newcastle from Nottingham Forest in a shock move in the summer of 2024, with the Tynesiders paying £20million for his signing – the most they’ve spent on a goalkeeper.
Vlachodimos made just one appearance for Newcastle, coming on as a substitute in a League Cup clash against AFC Wimbledon. He never forced his way into the starting XI, and ultimately joined Sevilla on a season’s loan last summer.
But in Spain, the shot stopper is now a key player, having made 21 LaLiga appearances so far.
A report earlier this month claimed that Vlachodimos is ‘willing to force his way out’ of Newcastle to join Sevilla permanently when his loan ends. Now, he has spoken out on the situation…
Want more breaking transfer lines from original sources? Add TEAMtalk as a preferred source on Googleto your favourites list for news you can trust.
‘We’ll see what happens’
Vlachodimos, speaking in an interview with ABC, makes clear that he is very happy with Sevilla, but admits the final decision on his future ultimately lies with Newcastle.
He is contracted at St James’ Park until the summer of 2027.
“I’m very happy at Sevilla,” Vlachodimos said. “I think it’s clear that I enjoy playing every match with this team. I’ll try to give my best every day, and that makes me feel very happy.
“I spoke with the manager, the president, and the sporting director about the club’s situation in LaLiga. But for me, the most important thing from day one is that this experience has been a gift since I arrived.
“I just wanted to get back to playing and be able to give my all to the team. This place is exactly as I imagined it.”
“The truth is, I still have a contract with Newcastle and they decide, I don’t know what will happen in the future,” he added.
“I really don’t think I can answer these questions about the future. I truly don’t know what’s going to happen this summer. Honestly, I have a contract with Newcastle.
“I don’t know what their plans will be when the season ends. We’ll see what happens then. I really don’t have an answer.”
Previous reports have suggested that Sevilla would be willing to pay €5million (£4.4m / $5.9m) for Vlachodimos, while Newcastle want a bigger sum to recoup more of the £20million they paid for him.
Newcastle would therefore have to accept a big loss to sell Vlachodimos to Sevilla, or risk losing him on a free transfer further down the line.
But the potential transfer may also hinge on whether Sevilla can avoid relegation. They currently sit 12th in the LaLiga table, but only five points above the drop zone as things stand.
Get the inside story first by joining our TEAMtalk Facebook channel to receive the latest breaking and exclusive news straight into your Messenger inbox.