Real Betis can lose their top striker in January to the Premier League.

Real Betis are having a good season in La Liga, and with a victory against Valencia on Thursday, they can guarantee a position in the top four heading into the World Cup.

There is hope that Betis can improve on last season’s good performance, which saw them finish fifth, barely outside the Champions League spots.

Nabil Fekir, a prominent playmaker, would be a key component of it. The erratic Frenchman has the power to breach barriers at any time and create magical moments.

However, it seems that Newcastle United’s wealth will allow them to spend almost €45 million to get Fekir to the Premier League. Given that Betis failed to sign players during the summer because they were so close to the wage cap, it could be difficult for them to reject an offer that magnitude.

For Beticos, there is also some cause for hope. Estadio Deportivo reports that Fekir is satisfied in Seville and has no plans to leave the team.

Next season, keeping Fekir might be the difference between earning money in the Champions League and the Europa League. That may balance out the price of off-field replacement after selling Fekir on the field. Even if he was unable to expand the team last summer, Manuel Pellegrini stressed in the summer about the need of not weakening the group.

On the other hand, given that Fekir is already rapidly reaching his thirties, this may be the final time Betis must sell him for a high price.