Southampton may have to make decisions on the futures of a number of players come the end of the season.
With contracts expiring and loans deals coming to an end, the club will have to make decisions over whether or not they want to keep certain individuals at St Mary’s.
Of course, Russell Martin‘s side are still heavily involved in the battle for promotion to the Premier League. The outcome of that race could imfluence the future of some individuals.
However, there are other players who may well be set to leave Southampton regardless of what happens between now and the end of the season.
So with that in mind, we’ve taken a look at three players who may have already played their last game for the Saints, right here.
Alex McCarthy is out of contract and down the pecking order
While he has previously been a regular for Southampton, that has not been the case for Alex McCarthy in more recent times.
Indeed, this season has seen the goalkeeper make just one appearance for the club. That came in the League Cup defeat to Gillingham all the way back at the start of August. Instead, while Gavin Bazunu has been an ever-present in the league, Joe Lumley has stepped in during the FA Cup more recently.
With Lumley having recently a new contract at St Mary’s for next season as well, the fact McCarthy’s own deal is set to expire at the end of this season, suggests he may not be at the club for much longer.
Paul Onuachu seemingly wants permanent Southampton exit
Back in the 2023 January transfer window, the Saints invsted a considerable amount to sign striker Paul Onuachu. However, he was unable to settle during his time at St Mary’s.
The striker failed to score for Southampton as they suffered relegation last season. That led to him being sent out on loan to Turkish side Trabzonspor in last summer’s transfer window, where he has thrived.
It has since been suggested that Trabzonspor will be holding talks over an extended deal for the 29-year-old, who is apparently keen to stay in Turkey. Given how it hasn’t worked out for him at Southampton, it would surely make sense for them to agree to that. Otherwise, they may end up with a player who will struggle to make an impact for them, and may not want to anyway.
Juventus want to sign Carlos Alcaraz permanently
Following his move to Southampton in January 2023, Carlos Alcaraz is another who struggle to fully settle at St Mary’s.
He was therefore, allowed to join Juventus on loan in this year’s January transfer window. As part of that deal, the Italian giants do have the option to sign the Argentine permanently in the summer.
It has been claimed that Juventus are keen to hold negotiations with Southampton about changing the terms of that agreement, with a view to extending his stay in Italy. Given Juve’s apparent desire for a deal and the fact it has yet to fully work out for him at Southampton, it may be no huge surprise if an agreement is reached for that to happen.