Juventus have signed an ‘incredible talent’ in Southampton’s Carlos Alcaraz with one of the Argentine’s former team-mates drawing comparisons with Atletico Madrid’s £30 million World Cup winner.
The path from England’s second tier to the Italian elite is not one particularly well-travelled but, after Lazio looked to bring in first Jack Clarke and then Morgan Whittaker from Sunderland and Plymouth Argyle respectively, Juventus’ pursuit of a new midfielder led them to St Mary’s.
Carlos ‘Charly’ Alcarez secured what his agent described as a ‘dream’ move on the penultimate day of the window, joining the Serie A challengers from Southampton in a £30 million loan-to-buy deal.
And while Alcaraz’s arrival may have been greeted with a few raised eyebrows, the youngster’s one-time Racing Club team-mate sees no reason why he cannot take his game to a whole new level both for club and country in the near future.
Carls Alcarez swaps Southampton for Serie A
“Juve really made a great move by signing him. We are talking about an incredible talent destined to become a top international player in a couple of years,” Ezequiel Schelotto, who also played on England’s south coast for Brighton and Hove Albion, tells Tuttosport.
“In my opinion, Carlos can become a starter for the Argentine national team in two years. After all, he was a starter for Racing at 17 and, to do that, you have to have something special.”
Alcarez spent just 12 months at Southampton. And while his departure will be a disappointment to Saints boss Russell Martin, the promotion chasers could console themselves with a colossal profit should Juventus opt to turn his loan into a permanent transfer somewhere down the line.
Southampton, after showing an interest in Coventry’s Callum O’Hare, have already brought in a high-class replacement in David Brooks from Bournemouth.
Similarities with a Juventus legend
Schelotto, meanwhile, sees similarities between the all-action Alvarez and Rodrigo de Paul – a member of Argentina’s World Cup winning squad – as well as Juventus icon Claudio Marchisio.
“He can play as a right-sided midfielder. That, for me, is his ideal role. Alcaraz is good at entering the box and has an excellent shot from distance. He also shoots well with both feet. He has a lot of quality,” the veteran full-back adds.
“If I have to name one former Juventus player, Marchisio immediately comes to mind. Like Claudio, he plays the role of midfielder offensively and has the ability to score many goals.
“If you ask me for a comparison with an Argentine midfielder, I would compare him to De Paul.”
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