Alex McCarthy has now officially sealed a move to Leicester City after his Southampton contract expired.
This was not a move that came from nowhere, as McCarthy was once managed by Russell Martin on the South Coast. Now, the 40-year-old is trying to repair his fractured managerial reputation at the Foxes, as he relies on some old past heads to come up trumps.
Could Will Smallbone be the next ex-Saints alumni to retreat to the King Power?
Amazingly, though, there were some reports - before his move to the League One giants was confirmed - that suggested he was on the shopping list of one surprise Premier League outfit...
McCarthy offered Premier League move
While he hasn't been the Saints' number one stopper for quite some time now, with only seven Championship appearances coming his way last season, McCarthy has a wealth of experience at the very top under his belt.
Indeed, he has a weighty 152 Premier League games next to his name on his career CV, with Chelsea shockingly wanting to bump up that number.
Chelsea-focused journalist Simon Phillips reported that the Blues were looking at swooping in for the free agent keeper as a cost effective pair of gloves, clearly thinking his top-flight nous could come in handy.
However, despite the glitz and glamour of the six-time Premier League champions dangling like a carrot, McCarthy rejected the move, in favour of dropping down a division to link back up with Martin.
Outsiders looking in might view this rejection as a crazy step to take, but it has come to light that he turned down a major switch to Stamford Bridge as he wants more regular first-team action, after exiting Southampton.
He admirably rejected
If the one-time Reading keeper had decided that Stamford Bridge was going to be his next home, he would've been preparing for a permanent spot on the substitutes' bench.
Indeed, he might have all those top-flight games on his side, but there's no chance the 36-year-old would be heading straight into Xabi Alonso's starting XI.
He has admirably turned down that once-in-a-lifetime move for a chance at more first-team football at Leicester, and he will want to shake off all his St. Mary's rust at the King Power to prove he can be a competent number one.
McCarthy had only featured 20 times across the last three seasons for Southampton in league action, but he still has plenty of encouraging numbers to fall back on, as he tries to be success in the Midlands.
The three-time England international has 35 clean sheets playing in the Championship and League One previously, so if he's afforded more regular minutes, he should be able to acclimatise to the demands of the third tier quickly, irrespective of any decay setting in.
He has also performed well under Martin's guidance, as he kept two clean sheets from three playoff games during the 2023/24 season, which ended in the sensational ecstasy of promotion to the Premier League.
He will be hopeful that another promotion is coming his way at the King Power, as he rekindles his relationship with Martin.
All too often in football these days, players win themselves huge move so they can gain a quick injection of cash.
In McCarthy's case, it's clear he still wants to test himself, away from earning a lavish wage in West London, with little malice being directed towards the 36-year-old after his Saints exit.
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