Southampton: Alex McCarthy linked with move to Spurs
By Marc Walker
Southampton goalkeeper Alex McCarthy has been linked with a summer transfer to Premier League rivals Spurs.
According to the Mirror, Southampton’s Player of the Season is being monitored by the London club as they look for back-up for first-choice stopper Hugo Lloris.
The Saints would surely do everything in their power to keep the 28-year-old after the stunning form that he showed as he replaced Fraser Forster in the starting 11 for the final four months of the season.
There would also have to be many incentives for McCarthy to leave St Mary’s too as it took him a long time to establish himself as the club’s number 1 after arriving from Crystal Palace in August 2016.
A number of vital displays saw him become a favourite of the Saints fans, with his flying saves in the home win against Bournemouth likely to stick in people’s minds for a long time.
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McCarthy wouldn’t be the first Southampton keeper to make the switch to Spurs. Paulo Gazzaniga chose to rejoin former Saints Mauricio Pochettino at White Hart Lane at the beginning of the 2017/18 season after falling out of favour.
He may not have played much at St Mary’s, but he has been well down the pecking order at Spurs too. Both Hugo Lloris and Michel Vorm are international regulars and have pushed Gazzaniga down to third-choice.
McCarthy would also have to consider a potential lack of game time too. At Saints he is likely to keep his place in the team going into 2018/19 and continue to get chances to impress as apposed to watching from the substitutes bench.
There were even some calls for him to be included in the England squad for the World Cup this summer after such impressive form and other keepers like Joe Hart struggling.
It remains to be seen whether the club will look to offload Fraser Forster this summer after his poor displays early in the season and with him supposedly being one of the clubs highest earners.