Southampton did pretty well to avoid the drop last season, after failing to find any kind of consistency in their game. They appointed Mark Hughes late in the season to add some discipline to the side and the new manager is now desperate to make sure that the 2018-19 campaign is more productive than the previous one.
He has been busy scouting for top transfer targets this summer but is also expected to let a number of first-team stars, who do not fit into his system, leave the club this summer. One such player, who is now going out on loan is Guido Carrillo.
Having started his senior career with Estudiantes, the Argentinean made a name for himself in Europe in this three Ligue 1 seasons with AS Monaco and was a crucial part of the team that won the league title over PSG, the season before last.
He spent the first half of the previous season at Stade Louis II registering four league goals in 15 games, most of them off the bench. However, he was shipped off to Southampton in January, as the Saints were in desperate need of a goal scorer. He cost the club a record sum of £19m in January but failed to have the kind of an impact that was expected of him.
He started five league games, came off the bench twice but failed to find the back of the net, registering just one assist all season. He does not seem to have impressed Mark Hughes and has been pushed down the pecking order.
Reports now suggest that Carrillo is close to joining La Liga outfit Leganes, who also narrowly avoided relegation last season. They are expected to take Carrillo on loan in the upcoming days, leaving the Saints in search of another striker.
At 27, the former Monaco man needs to step up his game if he wants to continue his progress in Europe. The Saints are now in need a player who can make an immediate impact and add goals to a side that lacked creativity last season.
A part of the reason for Carrillo’s unimpressive performances was the lack of quality behind him but with Hughes determined to land another striker, the Argentine does not have any real future at Southampton.
Read More: Southampton Eyeing A Summer Move For 26 Y/O European Winger: Right Fit For Hughes’ Plans?
He is only going out on a loan and the Saints can keep a close eye on his progress, and make a decision on his future at the end of the next campaign. They will not find it easy to add another top quality striker to their side this summer in this inflated market but sending Carrillo out on loan is probably in the best interest of all involved.
