Sevilla’s transfer king Monchi is the secret weapon behind their success

As Chelsea made their way through £222million of new signings in the summer, Sevilla were doing what they usually do – leaning on sporting director Monchi‘s catalogue of bargains and discoveries and hoping not too many of their players were sold.

The Spanish club brought in winger Oscar Rodriguez from Real Madrid, Oussama Idrissi from AZ Alkmaar, Marcos Acuna from Sporting, and Ivan Rakitic from Barcelona, as well as making Suso’s loan from Milan permanent. They did it all for £59million (€65.5m). Chelsea spent more on Kai Havertz alone, who cost them £71m.

Monchi was ready for the inevitable belt tightening brought about by the pandemic. It helped that last summer he had, even by his high standards and incredibly successful market.

Sevilla sporting director Monchi is the secret weapon behind the club’s success

Under his stewardship, Sevilla have won nine trophies in 10 years on a shoestring budget

Jules Kounde arrived from Bordeaux for a club-record £23m (€25m). Within one season Manchester City were offering £50m (€55m) for him. His centre-back partner Diego Carlos, signed from Nantes for just £13m (€15m), has also been a huge success.

And at the other end of the pitch Lucas Ocampos was signed from Marseille for just £13m (€15m). He is now a first-team player for Argentina having top scored for the club last season.

Even the duds came good. Luuk de Jong struggled for goals early on but got the crucial ones as Sevilla won the Europa League.

Chelsea made their way through £222million of new signings in the summer window

All this has come in Monchi’s second spell at the club after a less successful spell at Roma. He was welcomed back with open arms at Sevilla – why wouldn’t he be after overseeing a period in which he turned a £182m (€200m) profit in a decade at the club, winning nine trophies along the way? He even made a masterclass documentary series to show how it’s done.

There were 13 episodes, each lasting 13 minutes because before Monchi became the club’s, and one of football’s most famous, sporting directors, he wore the No 13 shirt as reserve goalkeeper in a Sevilla side that struggled towards the end of the last century.

When he finally hung his gloves up in 2000, he took the reigns of a struggling Sevilla and with his signings turned them into one of the most successful cup sides in the whole of Europe.

‘I think the key to my success is hard work and a closeness to those I work with,’ he said in the first episode. ‘I’m a dressing room sporting director, close to the players and at the service of the coach. 

Monchi shakes hands with Jules Kounde, who arrived from Bordeaux for a club-record £23m

Monchi’s closeness with players has helped him convince Ivan Rakitic to re-sign for the club

‘I may be the one who signs the players but it’s the coach who gives the profile of what type of player he wants.’ 

That closeness to players has helped him convince many to sign…