Charly Alcaraz’ loan move to Juventus was confirmed on Wednesday, with an option to buy in the summer included as part of the deal.
The move to a club with the stature of Italian giants Juventus came as a surprise, especially given Alcaraz has struggled to perform consistently in the Championship this season.
The Argentine is clearly a very talented player with huge potential at 21, but has seen Stuart Armstrong cement the attacking midfield spot ahead of him this season. Reports suggest that the fee associated with Juventus’ option to buy Alcaraz is in the region of £35 million.
New reports suggest that Juventus could in fact make Alcaraz’ move permanent in the summer without ever paying a fee by offering Southampton a player in return.
Could Southampton swap Carlos Alcaraz for Matias Soule?
Southampton have previously been linked with a move for Juventus’ winger Matias Soule, who is currently on loan at fellow Serie A club Frosinone.
CalciaMercato reported earlier this month that Southampton ‘would like to invest’ in the 20-year-old who has scored nine goals and provided one assist in the Italian top flight this season. The report also suggests that Juventus value the Argentinian at £35 million, although it is felt a fee closer to £21 million represents his true value.
Given that Southampton have now brought in a right winger, with David Brooks joining from Bournemouth on loan, and the high price tag, a deal for Soule will not happen this January. However, the latest reports suggest Southampton will revisit a deal in the summer and have already begun discussions with Juventus over a potential swap deal between Alcaraz and Soule.
Any potential deal relies almost completely on Southampton being promoted back to the Premier League this season, as Soule is not said to be interested in playing in the English second tier. Without promotion, Southampton will be unable to pay such a fee anyway, so the deal is a non-starter if Southampton are a Championship club next season.
Soule’s agent confirmed to TMF that parent-club Juventus take a keen interest in his client’s development and are very much keeping tabs on Soule, as he said: “At Juventus they follow him, they are behind him, they send continuous messages. Mati is a player much appreciated by Juventus. I am very proud of him, he is a champion. He always shows that he has something extra.”
With Southampton on a record-breaking unbeaten run, they look in good place to finish in the automatic promotion spots. There is a lot to happen for this deal to take place, with Alcaraz needing to impress enough in his time in Turin to persuade that a permanent deal for the attacking midfielder is more important than keeping Soule.
Whilst this will be one to return to in the summer, it is certainly a deal worth keeping an eye on for all involved.