Before he joined Southampton, Everton were reportedly interested in signing Argentine midfielder Carlos Alcaraz.
The Saints signed the 20-year-old in January in a £12 million transfer after being called up to Argentina’s national team for World Cup qualifiers against Paraguay and Peru.
Alcaraz rose through the ranks at Racing Club before scoring the game-winning goal in extra time in the 2022 Argentine Cup final against Boca Juniors, and his talent drew the interest of European clubs.
According to The Athletic, the Toffees were interested in signing him but were unable to match the sum offered by Southampton.
Alcaraz would later make his debut for his new club in Southampton’s 2-1 win at Goodison Park, which was Frank Lampard’s final home game as Everton manager before being fired earlier this year.
Everton’s failure to sign Alcaraz due to financial difficulties is a setback for fans.
The Argentine went on to score four goals and contribute two assists in 18 Premier League games, but his efforts were in vain as Southampton were relegated to the Championship.
The 20-year-old has since signed a five-year contract extension with St Mary’s, keeping him at the south coast club until 2028, despite interest from other clubs.
Indeed, Brentford and Crystal Palace are rumored to be interested, while AC Milan and Benfica are also said to be interested.
The young midfielder definitely has a lot of potential, as seen by his call-up to Argentina’s World Cup squad, and he won’t be in the Championship for long.
Everton also pursued Moises Caicedo prior to his £4.5 million move to Brighton & Hove Albion in 2021, with the Ecuadorian recently moving to Chelsea for a record-breaking cost of £115 million.
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