Real Madrid icon Sergio Ramos has now agreed a shock return to Sevilla this summer, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The defender has rejected offers from clubs in Saudi Arabia and Turkey to return to his boyhood team, after previously being linked with a return to Real Madrid following the injury to Eder Militao this summer.
The 37-year-old suffered two injury-stricken years at Paris Saint-Germain but is returning to La Liga with Sevilla, who are competing in the Champions League following their Europa League triumph last summer.
Ramos joined Real Madrid from Sevilla for around £24m in 2005, having began his career at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.
“Sergio Ramos to Sevilla, here we go! The verbal agreement has been reached on short term deal — despite proposals on the table from Al Ittihad and also Turkish clubs,” Romano tweeted.
“Ramos, back to Sevilla after 18 years.”
Should Real Madrid have signed Ramos?
Ramos is one of the greatest captains and defenders in the history of Real Madrid, and given that Militao will miss the whole season, it may have been tempting to bring him back.
He will have added a lot of experience to the dressing room, particularly after the departure of Karim Benzema, but it was perhaps the right move for all parties that he did not return to the Santiago Bernabeu.
Real Madrid are building a younger team now, and Antonio Rudiger has slotted straight in for Militao. For Ramos, he will play more at Sevilla, who are currently bottom of La Liga, whilst also returning to the club he developed at before leaving in controversial circumstances.
Carlo Ancelotti believes he has enough depth at centre-back with Rudiger, David Alaba and Nacho, and perhaps he felt that Ramos was an unnecessary addition this summer given his poor injury record in the last few years.