Spanish news outlet, Mundo Deportivo claims that Southampton have a competitor in Fenerbahce S.K. for the transfer of Paco Alcacer from Barcelona. Mark Hughes planned on getting the 24-year-old forward this summer but now will have to upstage the Turkish outfit.
Alcacer is unsettled at the Camp Nou and understandably wants a change. He managed only 992 minutes of playing time in the previous season to score 7 goals in 23 games. There is not even a slight hope of him upstaging Luis Suarez and the La Liga are rumoured to be after Antoine Griezmann as well.
The forward was a regular starter at Valencia where he netted 15 goals in his last season to earn the £30m switch to the La Liga champions. The Spaniard was always a bright prospect coming out of the Oranges youth ranks and was capped 41 times for his country’s below U23 teams.
He was even considered for the senior team 13 times but unfortunately not for the 2018 FIFA World Cup even with Alvaro Morata struggling to hit the mark at Chelsea. Iago Aspas and Alcacer’s former teammate, Rodrigo has stolen a spot in the side under ex-coach, Julen Lopetegui.
Still only 24, Alcacer has the chance to overturn his current situation and the prospects of the Saints does not look too bad from a distance. Granted, Southampton are a struggling side who are trying to keep up with the pace of the English top-flight but Hughes is making all the right moves to answer some of the club’s previous season woes.
Bringing in Alcacer will place the side in a significantly better position as it will address one of their most obvious concerns. Last season the Saints were at their wit’s end trying to score goals on a regular basis.
Charlie Austin’s early injury started the crisis and then Shane Long kept on misfiring from close range. Manuel Gabbiadini could not make the cut under Mauricio Pellegrino and the Saints ended up signing Guido Carrillo from AS Monaco.
The latter did not score even once since his arrival in January, leaving Southampton in a very troubled spot late into the campaign. Somehow Hughes managed an escape by beating out Swansea City in the 37th game week.
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Alcacer will be handed over a starting role if he can replicate his previous scoring form from his Valencia days. Hughes should consider selling one of his current striking options to make way for the Barcelona man.
