Everton were reportedly interested in signing Argentinian midfielder Carlos Alcaraz before he moved to Southampton.
The 20-year-old, who was recently called up to Argentina’s national side for their World Cup qualifiers against Paraguay and Peru, moved to the Saints in January in a £12m deal.
Rising through the ranks at Racing Club, Alcaraz scored the winning goal in extra-time in the 2022 Argentine Cup final against Boca Juniors, and his form began to attract the attention of European clubs.
Indeed, as per reports in The Athletic, the Toffees were interested in securing his signature, but were unable to match the fee offered by Southampton.
Alcaraz would then make his debut for his new side in Southampton’s 2-1 win at Goodison Park, which would be Frank Lampard’s final home game in charge of Everton prior to his sacking earlier this year.
Everton losing out on Alcaraz signing due to financial issues a blow for fans
The Argentine went on to score four goals and provide two assists in 18 Premier League games, though his contribution could not prevent Southampton from being relegated to the Championship.
The 20-year-old has since signed a five-year extension on his contract at St Mary’s, keeping him at the south coast club until 2028 with numerous clubs eager to snap him up.
Indeed, Brentford and Crystal Palace are said to be admirers, while AC Milan and Benfica have also reportedly shown an interest.
The young midfielder clearly has bags of potential evidenced by his call-up to feature for World Cup winners Argentina, and no doubt he will not remain in the Championship for long.
The Athletic also state that Everton tracked Moises Caicedo prior to his £4.5m move to Brighton & Hove Albion in 2021, with the Ecuadorian recently moving to Chelsea for a record-breaking fee of £115m.