Lopetegui will have his ‘weakness’

Sevilla is close to signing for this winter market the Mexican winger Jesús ‘Tecatito’ Corona, from Porto. Tecatito, who has been on the Nervión agenda for a long time, ends his contract in June and the Nervión club hopes to take over his services for the payment of a not too high amount.

The negotiations are well advanced, as advanced by El Desmarque. And Julen Lopetegui will have one of his favorite players on the squad, whom he signed for Porto in 2015. Asked about the Aztec, the Gipuzkoan coach has never spared praise: “I would welcome him with open arms, without thinking. He’s being one of the best players in the Portuguese league in recent years, “he told Fútbol Picante a few months ago.

“If you ask me if I would have him in my team, I would say yes with completeness. The prototype is Corona. He is one of my weaknesses, an extraordinary player. He has a lot of talent, a very high ability to control the game in offensive situations, with significant speed, “added Lopetegui.

Just turned 29, international with Mexico 63 times (10 goals), Corona has a community passport and arrived in Porto from the Dutch Twente. He had grown up in the lower categories of Monterrey in his country and made the leap to Europe when he was 20 years old. This season he was not starting at the Dragons, with whom he barely accumulates 695 minutes between the Portuguese league, the Allianz Cup and the Champions League. Last year he scored three goals and gave 13 assists, three of them in the top continental competition.

Corona was one of the footballers on Monchi’s agenda and the one who, in principle, the difficult economic conditions will allow him to sign. The red-and-white club still leaves the door open to reinforce itself with some more attacker, but Anthony Martial, the preferred one, seems too expensive and other footballers for whom he has negotiated, such as the Italian Orsolini, had to include an important purchase option at the end of the season that Sevilla does not want to assume.