Newcastle United retain an interest in Southampton’s 20-year-old South American midfielder Carlos Alcaraz despite his drop in form.
According to Talk Sport, Newcastle United are monitoring the situation of Carlos Alcaraz as they maintain an interest in the 20-year-old South American midfielder. The Southampton star shone in the first six months since joining last January but has lost form since the start of the current season.
Newcastle United made some interesting purchases during the summer transfer window. The Magpies made sure they got a set of young stars to build for the future alongside some seasoned professionals to shore up the current side for a big season ahead.
The Magpies made their bow in the Champions League after a 20-year absence but have struggled for relevance in the Premier League. Many had thought Newcastle United would have gone for experienced professionals to build on the success of last season, but they took a different route.
For instance, they were perenially linked with Arsenal’s Kieran Tierney but ended up signing Lewis Hall from Chelsea. The latter has a little top-level experience but packs talent that could be nurtured for the future.
Similarly, they chose to sign Tino Livramento from Southampton when they had links to other experienced players for the right-back position. Now, they could revive their relationship with the Saints for another one of their players, Carlos Alcaraz.
The 20-year-old South American midfielder had hit the stride at Saints since joining them last January. His exploits could not prevent Southampton from suffering relegation from the Premier League, but they considered him a weapon for their Championship season.
Alcaraz has visibly struggled for relevance in the Championship this season. Southampton lost their last three games after a promising start to life in the second division. The 20-year-old South American midfielder has not had the best of times and could look to move away.
Newcastle United enquired during the summer but left the discussions quickly as they had other priorities. On the attacking side, they did sign Anthony Gordon last January, but they may have anticipated the departures of Allan Saint-Maximin and Miquel Almiron.
Yet, Eddie Howe may have wanted an attacking midfielder, as this Newcastle side needs a player of that profile. The Magpies could revisit their interest in the 20-year-old South American midfielder ahead of the January window, but Southampton could ask for a significant transfer fee.
Alcaraz could thrive in this system at Newcastle, which is bristling with young stars at the moment. He would still have to push to start games but can dream of developing under Howe to become a future star.
