Whilst Southampton battle to earn promotion to the Premier League after an impressive Championship campaign at times, they could be set to lose one of their biggest talents on a permanent basis this summer for a cheaper price than initially believed.
Southampton transfer news
The Saints have already made history under Russell Martin this season, securing their longest-ever unbeaten run, but still sit two points behind both Ipswich Town and Leeds United in the race to secure automatic promotion. By the end of the season, the last thing that Southampton will want to be doing is thinking about what might have been after such an impressive period of form.
If they do fail to go up, those at St Mary's could be forced to watch on as key players depart too. They managed to keep hold of the likes of Che Adams and Adam Armstrong last summer, but may not be so fortunate for a second season running in the Championship. On top of that, the Saints now seem increasingly likely to lose Carlos Alcaraz, who left on loan to Juventus in the January transfer window.
With a reported buy option of €50m (£43m) inserted into the deal, Southampton may have been expecting a big pay out. However, according to CalcioMercato, Juventus now want to make a new offer for Alcaraz, which would be lower than the buy option this summer in a fresh twist. It remains to be seen whether Southampton will accept the lower fee though, given the hefty option initially inserted in the midfielder's loan deal.
Southampton star who made just 12 touches was as bad as Rothwell v Hull
Southampton had a night to forget against Hull City with a number of key players underwhelming.
ByKelan Sarson
That said, if they fail to secure promotion this season, then they may be left with no choice but to sanction Alcaraz's departure to such a big club this summer.
"Intelligent" Alcaraz has three months to impress Juventus
Alcaraz was certainly left pleased with his loan move to the Italian giants, saying via the club's official website: "I can only be pleased to have been associated with great champions of Juventus's history. I know I have to do well, I want my name to be remembered here.
"As a kid my inspiration was Cristiano Ronaldo, so wearing this shirt is a dream come true. I always chose Juventus when I played PlayStation, if they didn't let me I got angry. Arturo Vidal was a huge success in black and white, the comparison with him flatters me. My task now is to work according to my potential, I want to achieve great results. I just have to think about myself."
The midfielder has so far featured just twice for Juventus in Serie A, coming from the bench in a 1-0 loss against Inter Milan and a 2-2 draw against Hellas Verona.
As the season goes on, the 21-year-old will hope to get more and more opportunities to impress, as he looks to secure a permanent move to the European giants. Once described as "intelligent" by Carlton Palmer, Southampton will certainly miss his quality if he completes a departure this summer.