Southampton allowed Carlos Alcaraz to join Juventus on an initial loan deal in the winter transfer window.
The Argentina youth international wasn’t a regular in Russell Martin‘s side and therefore, the club sanctioned his departure on a temporary deal, which could turn permanent if Juve activate his £40m option to buy clause.
Since heading over to Serie A, the 2002-born midfielder has made four appearances, though, is currently sidelined due to injury.
He is expected to return shortly after the international break and will be eager to impress coaches in a bid to remain in Turin next season.
With that said, a fresh update on his Saints’ future has just emerged.
Carlos Alcaraz may have played his final game for Southampton
Since arriving at St Mary’s in January 2023, Alcaraz has shown his lofty potential in moments and there’s certainly a player in there.
Southampton supporters took to him well and he was clearly a well-liked figure among the group, so it seems many would be happy to see him return in the summer.
Though, that outcome might not be the case, as according to GiveMeSport, he may have already played his final game for Southampton.
The outlet further noted that Saints are ‘open-minded’ about his future at the club and they’re set to hold lengthy discussions.
Juventus have been pretty quiet on the situation and it seems a case of seeing how the final stages of the season play out.
Southampton should sanction the sale of Carlos Alcaraz
The leagues have started to really crack down on Profit and Sustainability regulations, as we’ve seen in recent weeks with Everton, Nottingham Forest and Leicester City.
So Saints will certainly want to avoid a potential breach and that may mean they’ll have to allow a few key assets to depart in the summer.
That notion will only amplify if they remain a Championship club, so a lot will be dependent on the remaining 10 games.
Either way, if Alcaraz isn’t going to be a fixture of Martin’s side, there is little point keeping him at the club, as he could fetch a substantial fee, given his age and promise.
Prior to departing in January, the 21-year-old appeared on the bench on 14 occasions in the Championship, so it seems the Saints boss just doesn’t fancy him.
Perhaps the club will struggle to move him on for the £40m clause in his Juve contract, but certainly, a fee in excess of £20m seems realistic.