Wolves have suffered a big transfer blow as long-term target Carlos Alcaraz has joined Premier League rivals Southampton, in what could be a repeat of the disaster which saw the Old Gold miss out on World Cup sensation Enzo Fernandez last summer.

The Molineux outfit have long been linked with Racing Club star Alcaraz, who has burst onto the scene in Argentina in recent years, contributing 12 goals and six assists in 83 appearances in all competitions.

This saw football talent scout Jacek Kulig describe the 20-year-old as "one of the biggest talents in Argentina" in 2022, so it is easy to see why Wolves were keen on bringing him to Molineux.

However, Wolves have once again failed to act quickly in the January transfer window, as Alcaraz's arrival at Southampton for a fee of just £12m was confirmed earlier this week.

If he can have a big impact in the English top flight and help to keep Nathan Jones' side up this season, then Julen Lopetegui will surely regret not bringing the youngster to Molineux this month.

The Old Gold will be praying that Alcaraz doesn't enjoy a similar development to fellow Argentine youngster Enzo Fernandez, who joined Benfica ahead of Wolves last summer, despite chief scout Matt Hobbs travelling to South America to try and complete a deal for the 21-year-old.

Hobbs and Wolves refused to pay his £17m release clause and he instead joined Benfica, playing a huge part in their impressive domestic and Champions League form so far this season, with WhoScored awarding him an impressive 7.13 rating for his performances in Portugal's top flight.

He was then a mainstay in Lionel Scaloni's Argentina side as they won the World Cup in Qatar and is now attracting the interest of top clubs across Europe, with Chelsea reportedly offering £112m at the start of the January transfer window.

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You'd have hoped that Wolves would have learned their lesson from Fernandez, but to lose out on Alcaraz to a Southampton side whose recent form suggests that they are destined for the drop could be another shocking mistake by the Old Gold hierarchy.

If Alcaraz can live up to his potential at St Mary's, then he could easily move on for a huge fee in the future, and Wolves will surely be left regretting their failure to act quickly in the transfer window once again.