Sevilla Pursues Ellyes Skhiri Amid Striker Search
Sevilla are trying to rebuild on the fly, and the clock is already ticking louder in Andalusia than in most places.
With the start of La Liga just days away, the club are working on several transfer fronts at once. An out-and-out striker remains the headline need, yet the board are quietly trying to reshape the heart of the team as well — and that is where Ellyes Skhiri’s name has entered the frame.
Striker hunt on, but midfield takes a twist
"Marca" report that Sevilla’s top priority is still a centre-forward, with negotiations ongoing for Ruben Vargas. The search for goals has dominated the window, and it still does. But while the spotlight falls on the attack, the recruitment department is busy redrawing the midfield options.
German outlets now link Sevilla with Skhiri, the Tunisia international currently at Eintracht Frankfurt. His situation in Germany has shifted sharply. His contract runs out at the end of next season, and Frankfurt are already looking for a way out before he walks away for nothing.
The pressure finally told when "Sky Sport Germany" revealed that Frankfurt have effectively frozen the player out. The Bundesliga side have reinforced the middle of the park with Rafael Onyedika and are now trimming the squad. Skhiri, once central to their plans, has slipped into the expendable category.
Skhiri as the extra piece
Sevilla’s interest in Skhiri comes as they negotiate for another midfielder, Giorgi Kochorashvili. The Georgian is a primary target for that area of the pitch. Skhiri, according to the reports, would be a complementary addition rather than the centrepiece of the rebuild.
It would be a shrewd profile if it happens. Skhiri is a seasoned international who played all three of Tunisia’s group-stage matches at the last World Cup. He knows how to sit, screen, and suffer without the ball — traits that tend to appeal to coaches facing long, attritional seasons in Spain.
For Sevilla, the idea is clear: add Kochorashvili for craft, Skhiri for balance and legs. Two moves, one retooled midfield.
Eight days, one friendly, and a long list of needs
Time, though, is not on their side. Sevilla open their league campaign in eight days at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan against Rayo Vallecano. That gives coach Garcia Plaza only a narrow window to integrate any late arrivals into his system.
Before that, there is one last dress rehearsal. The Andalusians face Bayer Leverkusen tomorrow at 3:30pm in Germany, their final friendly of the summer, before flying back to Seville. It is the last chance to test what they have — and to underline what they still lack.
A striker remains non-negotiable. A refreshed midfield, with or without Skhiri, could be the difference between another anxious season and something more stable.
With Frankfurt ready to move him on and Sevilla juggling multiple targets at once, the question now is simple: who blinks first in the final stretch of the window?
