Southampton have opened talks with Serie A giants Juventus about possibly extending Carlos Alcaraz’s loan spell in Turin next season, according to the latest reports.
The Saints have suffered a rocky spell of results in recent weeks but a 2-1 win over Coventry City on Wednesday has given Russell Martin’s side an outside chance of finishing inside the automatic promotion places this term.
https://twitter.com/SouthamptonFC/status/1778015353731260812
The club on the south coast have two games in hand on Leeds United and Ipswich Town above them and still have to play the Whites and league leaders Leicester City before the regular season comes to a close at the beginning of May.
There are a number of players whose futures are currently up in the air at the St. Mary’s Stadium, including Che Adams, who is out of contract in the summer. Another valuable asset with an uncertain place under Martin is Carlos Alcaraz.
Alcaraz signed for Southampton in January 2023 and was a shining light in a rather dismal campaign last year which ended in relegation to the Championship for the first time in over a decade. However, the £12 million midfielder found himself out of favour under Martin early this season.
At the end of the recent winter transfer window, it was confirmed that the 22-year-old would move to Juventus on a six-month loan deal while the Bianconeri have a £40 million option-to-buy clause inserted into the player’s contract.
Southampton To Rival Manchester United For £2.1 Million-Rated Gem
While there have been reports that the Italian giants are not keen to sign him permanently, a new report in Italy from La Stampa, via Inside Futbol, have claimed that Southampton and Juventus are currently negotiating a one-year extension for Alcaraz’s loan deal.
Writer’s View
Juventus seem willing to keep Alcaraz on for another season on a temporary basis but are not willing to pay such a hefty fee to buy the former Racing Club man permanently given he has made just five appearances for the Turin-based club so far, which spans merely 192 minutes of football.
Nevertheless, having a player like Alcaraz, with his quality, out on loan won’t benefit the side much, particularly if Southampton fail to earn promotion back to the Premier League as his £40 million price tag would certainly ease the blow when their parachute payments are greatly reduced.
Deputy Head of Writing
