Newcastle United have joined the race to sign Southampton midfielder Carlos Alcaraz this summer but competition from Tottenham Hotspur could cause problems.
Spurs have reportedly already made a money-plus player offer for the Argentine, who joined the Saints in January 2023 for £12million.
Newcastle have a strong starting midfield but a lack of established quality on the bench in Sean Longstaff and a young Lewis Miley means they are in the market for a midfielder who has room for improvement but has experience in top competitions.
Racing Club, who Southampton signed Alcaraz from have a 15% sell-on clause.
It looks to be advantage Spurs in the race to sign Alcaraz, who have offered cash-plus defender Joe Rodon.
The Welsh international spent the last two seasons on loan at Rennes and Leeds United respectively.
Alcaraz also spent last season on loan, joining Italian giants Juventus for the season. There was a £46m optional future fee included in the loan deal but no indication on whether that will be triggered has been made.
The 21-year-old made 10 appearances for The Old Lady, helping them on their way to a Coppa Italia win.
There has been speculation on the future of several Newcastle players and the midfielders are no exception to that.
Sean Longstaff has one year left on his current deal, this summer could be the last chance to get a fee for the 26-year-old.
Joe Willock is another player who could potentially leave the club this morning to alleviate the ongoing FFP struggles. The Englishman spent a lengthy period of time on the sidelines with an Achilles issue.
Should the Magpies offload, Alcaraz looks to be one of the main targets to replace them.
PL | GD | PTS | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
Liverpool
|
14 | 18 | 35 |
2 |
Chelsea
|
15 | 17 | 31 |
3 |
Arsenal
|
15 | 14 | 29 |
4 |
Manchester City
|
15 | 6 | 27 |
5 |
Nottingham Forest
|
15 | 1 | 25 |
6 |
Aston Villa
|
15 | 0 | 25 |
7 |
Brighton
|
15 | 3 | 24 |
8 |
Bournemouth
|
15 | 3 | 24 |
9 |
Brentford
|
15 | 3 | 23 |
10 |
Fulham
|
15 | 2 | 23 |
11 |
Tottenham Hotspur
|
15 | 12 | 20 |
12 |
Newcastle United
|
15 | -2 | 20 |
13 |
Manchester United
|
15 | 1 | 19 |
14 |
West Ham United
|
15 | -8 | 18 |
15 |
Everton
|
14 | -7 | 14 |
16 |
Leicester
|
15 | -9 | 14 |
17 |
Crystal Palace
|
15 | -6 | 13 |
18 |
Ipswich
|
15 | -13 | 9 |
19 |
Wolves
|
15 | -15 | 9 |
20 |
Southampton
|
15 | -20 | 5 |