Will Premier League Southampton manage to sell £19m striker Guido Carrillo this summer? Or will the La Liga loanee be stuck at St Mary’s?
Southampton were once famed for their ability to unearth diamonds in the rough. But that was before they spent window after window splurging unholy amounts on fools gold instead.
From Moi Elyounoussi to Manolo Gabbiadini, Wesley Hoedt to Mario Lemina, the Saints have endured their fair share of big-money disappointments in the last few years. But Guido Carrillo, the £19 million centre-forward, perhaps stands alone as their biggest transfer blunder in recent memory.
It is hard to believe now that a former Monaco star arrived at St Mary’s in January 2018 with a record of 1.08 goals or assists per game; an average better, at the time, than Sergio Aguero, Mo Salah and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
These days, a centre-forward who failed to score in seven Premier League games before being farmed out on a series of loans is a £19 million millstone around Southampton’s neck.
The Telegraph reports that Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side are desperate to get Carrillo off the wage bill this summer. Doing so, however, could be easier said than done.
After all, Carrillo’s performances over in Spain are hardly likely to have the offers flying in. The Argentine is enduring a miserable season on loan at relegation threatened Leganes and it took until Saturday, during a 1-1 draw at Alaves, for Carrillo to bring a long-awaited end to his 20-game goal-scoring drought.
With just two months of the season remaining, Southampton will be hoping that bullet header, a throwback to his barnstorming Monaco days, is more than just a false dawn.
Otherwise, there is a very real possibility that they will be stuck with Carrillo for another year.
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