Espanyol and Sevilla fight over Denis Suárez in a series of dramatic hijacks | OneFootball

Celta Vigo’s Galician-born midfielder, Denis Suárez, was at the epicentre of a bidding storm on Saturday, as his originally planned signing for Espanyol came under attack.

As reported by Estadio Deportivo, Suárez had negotiated a €1.2 million short contract with Espanyol, who he would play for until the end of the season before joining Villarreal.

Meanwhile in Andalusia, Jeff Reine-Adélaide didn’t pass his pre-signing medical, prompting Sevilla to search for a new creative midfielder.

The club set its eyes on Suárez, offering a contract worth €200.000 more than the Catalans’ original proposal, and a personal call from manager Jorge Sampaoli to convince the player.

Suárez reportedly accepted the deal and even began searching for housing in the Spanish city, when Espanyol counter-attacked with an even higher offer. Now, pending final confirmation – or a dramatic final twist – the Galician midfielder will play for the Catalan club on loan until 30 June 2023 before completing a move to Villarreal.

Sevilla may not have the wage budget to counter yet again, and they would rather put the effort into searching for a new left-footed centre-back.

GSFN | Nicolás Antúnez de Mayolo