With this addition, Russell Martin’s Southampton squad might be greatly strengthened.
Southampton would have been disappointed come full-time on New Year’s Day at Carrow Road, as the Saints stumbled to a 1-1 draw with Norwich City despite dominating for long periods of the game.
On another day, Russell Martin’s side would have humiliated the Canaries on their own turf, with the south coasters controlling 75% of the ball for the entire 90 minutes and registering 21 shots on goal.
Still, it’s another game without defeat for the unbeaten Saints, who haven’t tasted defeat in their last 18 second-tier matches, and automatic promotion isn’t far away – Southampton are only three points behind a slightly faltering Ipswich Town in the league standings.
Martin may be tempted to sign this exciting midfielder on a temporary basis in order to boost Southampton even further and take them to the next level in order to compete with the top two.
Fabio Carvalho is the most recent Southampton transfer target
The Daily Mail speculated earlier this month that Southampton may be the next destination for Liverpool prodigy Fabio Carvalho, after the Reds prematurely recalled the ex-Fulham forward from his loan out to RB Leipzig.
To recruit Carvalho on loan, the Saints would have to compete with Enzo Maresca’s table-topping Leicester City. However, Sky Sports reports that the Foxes are also desperate to add bodies to their already strong roster to ensure their iron grasp on first place does not waver.
Martin will try to persuade Carvalho to choose St Mary’s over the King Power Stadium, potentially displacing Fraser if signed as a proven second-tier livewire previously with the Cottagers.
Statistics demonstrating why Carvalho would be an excellent signing for Southampton
The Portuguese attacking midfielder would provide Southampton with yet another flair option going forward, with Carlos Alcaraz, Stuart Armstrong, Sekou Mara, and others all capable of conjuring moments of magic placed into the team behind Adam Armstrong leading the charge.
Carvalho, on the other hand, has the experience of winning promotion from this league on his CV, which automatically elevates him above the multitude of offensive talent presently available to Martin, and he will want to add another promotion to his resume when his time with Southampton comes to an end.
Carvalho, who scored ten goals and assisted eight more during Fulham’s title-winning 2021-22 season, would be ideal for Martin’s potential Southampton team as a creative force who can also chip in with a goal here and there when needed.
It’s why Liverpool decided to take a chance on signing the Portuguese hotshot after his breakout season, with Jurgen Klopp praising the 21-year-old’s attitude since joining Anfield as “unbelievable” despite not getting much game time for the Reds last season.
This loan move, however, could result in Fraser falling down the pecking order, with one loanee succeeding while another is pushed to the outskirts.
Fraser’s role for Southampton this season has mostly been limited to coming off the bench and making an impact – he has only started four games – but he has showed Premier League class with four goals since joining from Newcastle United, including a brace on Boxing Day.
However, with Carvalho’s prospective arrival on the south coast upsetting the status quo, competition for places will heat up, and Fraser, despite his recent upturn in form, will not be guaranteed plenty of game time.
It’s a conundrum. Martin will have to work out shortly, but the £40,000-a-week man joining the promotion hopes is a no-brainer to give the second-tier side a boost in their promotion bid.
