Southampton: Carrillo reportedly set for Leganes loan in next day
By Chris Hughes
The Saints’ record signing could be set for a swift exit from the south coast, with Spanish side Leganes set to bring the striker in on-loan within the next 24 hours.
It seems like Mauricio Pellegrino could be set to do his old side a favour this week, with the Argentine set to his raid for his former side for forward Guido Carrillo.
Reports in the past couple of days have gained momentum and have been picked up by Sky Sports, who believe that the that Carrillo could be a Leganes player come the end of Tuesday evening.
Mauricio Pellegrino took the reigns of the Spanish club at the start of last month, having been dismissed three months prior after steering the Saints into a relegation dogfight.
The 27-year-old Carrillo’s six months with Southampton have been nothing short of disappointing, as he made a total of nine appearances without finding the back of the net once. His only real notable moment on the pitch was his smartly taken knock-back to find Manolo Gabbiadini in the dying seconds of the eventual draw with Burnley.
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Arriving for just under £20 million from French side Monaco, Carrillo was very much seen as a ‘manager’s signing’ having linked up with the aforementioned Pellegrino back in their native Argentina. Supporters hoped this would result in the forward bedding in quickly, but that never happened.
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Under Mark Hughes, Carrillo regularly failed to make the matchday squad towards the end of the campaign, which signaled early on that the Argentine’s days with the Saints were numbered.
As a result Carrillo’s stock has dropped massively, with supporters already suggesting that the Saints may have to take a loss of over 50% on the striker.
Therefore the board will hope that a successful loan in Spain would see them drive a harder bargain next summer – his departure was all-but confirmed when the current Saints gaffer excluded the striker and his teammate Sofiane Boufal from the pre-season tour of China.
If Carrillo can perform with Leganes then there’s no reason why the Saints couldn’t sell him for a more respectable price next summer, whether it be to the Spanish side or another team all together.