Juventus are set to make Argentine talent Carlos Alcaraz their final addition of the January transfer window. Here’s what the current Southampton midfielder will bring to the table in Turin under Massimiliano Allegri:
Alcaraz has spent the last six months in the Championship following Southampton’s relegation from the Premier League at the end of the 2022-23 campaign. The 21-year-old has been a regular starter under former Scotland international Russel Martin this campaign.
Thus far this term, Alcaraz has turned out 23 out of a possible 28 times for the Saints in the league, with two sets of 90 minutes in the FA Cup and a League Cup appearance also under his belt.
Back in October, Alcaraz also earned his first call-up to the Argentina squad for their World Cup qualifiers against Paraguay and Peru, but is yet to earn his first cap at senior international level.
Alcaraz initially joined Southampton just over a year ago, moving from Argentine Primera Division side Racing Club last January for a reported fee of €13.65m. Racing Club are set to profit significantly from Alcaraz’s move if made permanent, as they negotiated a 15% sell-on clause at the time of his transfer 12 months ago.
According to recent reports from multiple outlets, including Sky Sport Italia and La Gazzetta dello Sport, Juventus are set to land Alcaraz on an initial loan deal with an option to buy for around €35m-€40m, which would be comfortably double what Southampton paid just over a year ago.
Alcaraz had been receiving plenty of interest from sides across Europe’s top divisions, including Premier League sides Brentford and Nottingham Forest, as well as Lyon and Marseille in Ligue 1 according to the BBC.
Alcaraz is a traditional box-to-box midfielder by trade. He chipped in with four goals in 18 Premier League appearances before Southampton’s relegation at the end of last season, and has notched three so far this campaign, helping the Saints to a third-place position in the Championship, one point off the automatic promotion positions.
Southampton have opted to play in a 4-3-2-1 system under Martin for most of the 2023-24 season, a similar system to the one Roma have deployed under Daniele De Rossi after he replaced Jose Mourinho earlier this month.
Alcaraz is most regularly played in the midfield three in that formation. And it is also in the midfield three within Allegri’s preferred 3-5-2 system where he will play after his impending move to the Allianz Stadium.
Alcaraz will likely challenge the likes of Weston McKennie, Manuel Locatelli, Adrien Rabiot and Fabio Miretti for places in the starting XI.
Recent reports from the likes of Gianluca Di Marzio indicate that Alcaraz will complete his medical in London within the next few hours.
⚪️⚫️🇦🇷 Carlos Alcaraz will become new Juventus player today.
All parties working on it, player’s agent also in UK to get the deal sealed with medical also in London later today.
Understand buy option will be more than €40m. pic.twitter.com/SaUEYZWTZx
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 31, 2024