Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly considering an audacious swap deal with Southampton that would see Joe Rodon and Carlos Alcaraz move in opposite directions.
There is seemingly no future for Wales defender Rodon at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, having made just 24 appearances for the club since being signed from Swansea City in October 2020.
Since joining the Lilywhites, Rodon has spent time on loan with Ligue 1 outfit Rennes and Leeds United, seamlessly slotting into Daniel Farke's backline with the latter in the 2023-24 campaign.
The 26-year-old made 46 second-tier appearances as Leeds reached the playoff final, only to suffer a heartbreaking 1-0 loss to Southampton to miss out on an immediate Premier League return.
Leeds' failure to jump straight back up to the top division ruined their chances of a permanent deal for Rodon, but Tottenham are still determined to offload the Welshman, whose contract only runs for another year.
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Tottenham 'want Alcaraz in Rodon swap deal'
According to The Sun, Tottenham chiefs have conjured up the idea of a sensational swap deal for Southampton midfielder Alcaraz, who is back at St Mary's following a temporary stint at Juventus.
The 21-year-old quickly made a name for himself at St Mary's with six Premier League goal contributions following his January arrival, but his efforts were not enough to keep the Saints afloat in the top flight.
Alcaraz found consistent starts hard to come by in the Championship, though, and an unexpected loan to Juventus materialised in January, but only three of his 12 appearances for the Bianconeri came from the first whistle.
Nevertheless, Tottenham have apparently taken a liking to the Argentina youth international, whom Juventus have the option to buy, but the Italian giants are unlikely to take it up as they try to close a deal for Aston Villa's Douglas Luiz.
However, Alcaraz's contract at St Mary's still runs for another four years, and the Saints are believed to value the midfielder at £30m, which poses an immediate issue to Tottenham's hopes of a swap.
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The Lilywhites are not expecting to receive bids north of £10m for Rodon, meaning that they will likely have to either offer another player or also include a cash sum if they want the duo to move in opposite directions.
Alcaraz apparently made it clear that he does not want to play in the Championship, although it remains to be seen if he has a change of heart on his Saints career following their swift promotion.
Would Alcaraz be a good fit for Tottenham?
Midfield additions are expected to be high on Ange Postecoglou's priority list this summer, as Tanguy Ndombele has had his contract terminated, while Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Oliver Skipp and Giovani Lo Celso could be on the way out too.
Alcaraz most closely resembles the latter's style of play and is a Premier League-proven midfielder with an eye for goal, although he may be a bit rusty upon his arrival following his relative lack of action at Juventus.
Nevertheless, with James Maddison failing to hit his previous heights in the second half of the 2023-24 season, the capture of Alcaraz would not only increase Postecoglou's squad depth but could also give the Englishman the kick he needs to rediscover his best form.
Ben Knapton
