Southampton Star Sidelined For Weeks In Injury Blow

Southampton may have been dealt a transfer blow ahead of the summer transfer window as loan star Carlos Alcaraz has suffered a hamstring injury at Juventus, the Italian giants have confirmed.

The Saints signed the Argentine midfielder in January 2023 for a reported £12 million when the side were battling to stay in the Premier League. His former club Racing Club revealed that a 15 percent sell-on clause had been inserted into the agreement.

Alcaraz was a shining light for the club on the south coast last season as they were relegated, having spent a decade in the top-flight and it was revealed by talkSPORT that the playmaker had garnered interest from clubs in the Premier League, including Newcastle United.

Southampton have their breakthrough as Carlos Alcaraz puts them ahead!! 💪 pic.twitter.com/AcAJpibvR0

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) March 4, 2023

Southampton set a £25 million price tag on the 21-year-old prior to the most recent January window, with European sides RB Leipzig and Benfica also sniffing around but it was Juventus who captured his signature in the end.

The Bianconeri confirmed a short-term loan deal for Alcaraz with an option to buy the player at the end of the campaign for a reported £40 million. However, the loanee is likely to return to the St. Mary’s Stadium in the summer after a disastrous start to his stint in Turin.

Since joining Juventus, Alcaraz has played merely four times, recording just 176 minutes in total on the pitch under six-time Serie A-winning manager Max Allegri. Now, the Old Lady have released a statement, announcing that the player suffered a muscular problem in his right hamstring in training on Wednesday.

“This Thursday morning, he [Alcaraz] underwent medical tests at J|Medical, which revealed an injury,” the statement read.

“He will be re-evaluated in 10-15 days’ time to determine the exact extent of the injury and to define the recovery time required.”

Writer’s View

A permanent transfer to Juventus for the Southampton star looks unlikely. The Italian side have been in financial trouble for several years now, having just been hit with a £17.4 million fine last summer and are unlikely to pay £40 million for a player who isn’t a regular in the first-team.

This could be seen as both a positive and a negative for the Saints. Alcaraz still has the potential to be a great player for the English club should he return to the team from his loan spell but his option-to-buy fee could have potentially helped the windfall if Russell Martin fails to guide the team back to the Premier League.