Alcaraz passes Juventus medical check: more expensive than Nedved with purchase option

Replacement for Pogba & Fagioli

Juventus Turin is about to complete what may be the most expensive Serie A transfer since its own signing of Dusan Vlahovic (83.5 million in January 2022). According to consistent Italian media reports, Argentine U23 international Carlos Alcaraz from Southampton FC will soon join the Bianconeri – on loan with a non-binding purchase option. The medical check, reported Fabrizio Romano, the 21-year-old central midfielder has already passed. On Thursday, the deadline day for transfers in the major European leagues, Alcaraz is scheduled to travel to Turin to finalize the move.

The rental costs a lot Gianluca Di Marzio a fee of around 3.75 million euros, but what is really remarkable is the purchase clause agreed upon. According to the “Sky” reporter, this amounts to 42 million pounds, or around 49 million euros. If Juventus pulls this at the end of the season, Alcaraz will become one of the ten most expensive players in the club’s history. This would mean he would overtake Pavel Nedved (45 million; 2001/02) and, including the loan fee, would only cost slightly less than Gianluigi Buffon (52.9 million; 2001/02) (correction) – even if the two club legends were significantly larger investments in an inflation-adjusted list. In Southampton, Alcaraz would also be at the top of the list when it came to departures and would be in third place ahead of Sadio Mané (41.2 million; 2016/17). Juventus usually provides information about the exact figures of a transfer deal in the stock exchange announcement when the deal is confirmed.

The professional, who was born in La Plata and grew up at the Racing Club, is under contract with the “Saints” until 2028. If the purchase option were exercised, the Argentines would receive 15 percent of the transfer profit. You sold Alcaraz to England a year ago for 13.65 million euros. In Turin, in the second half of the season, he should initially close the gap caused by the bans for Nicolò Fagioli (illegal sports betting) and Paul Pogba (doping). “The ‘Old Lady’ has been looking for a midfielder for weeks, but couldn’t spend more than 3 million to 4 million euros in January. Next summer, however, they will probably be able to budget for Champions League millions again. “Alcaraz is exactly the type of player they need and could do very well in Italy as he seems to fit the league and style of play very well,” says Jatin Dietl, Area Manager Transfermarkt Italy.

TM expert on Alcaraz: Juve gets “top technician with great engine”

Benjamin Littlemore, Content Manager at Transfermarkt UK, who wrote a detailed portrait of Alcaraz for the English TM domains, explains exactly what qualities Juventus is bringing into the team with the transfer. He said: “Carlos Alcaraz is a tenacious midfielder who has shown promise in his year at Southampton. He has not yet been a regular midfielder in the Championship this season, largely due to coach Russell Martin’s preference for a possession-based style of play. Martin tends to favor players who keep the game simple and move forward quickly, while Alcaraz often likes to move around with the ball and make riskier passes. Many Saints fans were not happy that Alcaraz stopped playing.”

It is also noteworthy that when Alcaraz played, it was often in the center of the attack and not in the “eight” role, for which he is actually predestined. Littlemore continued: “He was tried out in the false nine position a few times and sometimes pushed Ché Adams to the bench. He showed a lot of fighting spirit. However, he’s not Ché Adams and doesn’t like having a man behind him, but he has fantastic technical skills, showed good movement in this position and wasn’t afraid to act with his back to goal. Juventus are getting a top technician with a great engine who will probably make his Argentina debut sooner rather than later after being called up last year but not playing.”

Scott Christensen, Area Manager AR & South America, is surprised by the transfer fee, but optimistic about his compatriot’s future: “I didn’t think the sum would be so high for him after relegation to the Championship. He was a very promising player at Racing with skills more suited to European rather than South American football. I would perhaps have expected a return to the Premier League even sooner as he is a very intense player, constantly moving from one side of the penalty area to the other. At least in Argentina it wasn’t common to see him playing as a striker, but the fact that he can do it is no surprise to me. He has the skills to be a false nine and he is one of those midfielders who is constantly in contact with the opposition penalty area.”

To home page