Southampton striker Guido Carrillo has completed a one-year loan deal with La Liga club Leganés, linking up with manager Mauricio Pellegrino for the third time in his career.

The 27-year-old only joined Southampton in January for a fee of around £19 million but with Pellegrino fired some weeks later Carrillo was unable to find the net in ten appearances.

The Premier League club narrowly avoided relegation and with Carrillo clearly not in Mark Hughes’ plan for the forthcoming season, Pellegrino once more provided a route out.

The 46-year-old manager took charge of Leganés last month after Asier Garitano left the club to take over at Real Sociedad and with Los Pepineros also finishing 17th, the club will be hoping that Pellegrino can replicate some of the success he enjoyed previously with Deportivo Alavés.

Nuestro delantero @carrilloguido9 ya luce la bufanda del C.D. Leganés a su llegada a Madrid. Mañana se incorpora a la pretemporada y será presentado próximamente #BienvenidoCarrillo pic.twitter.com/XW21HYBRlN

— C.D. Leganés (@CDLeganes) July 8, 2018

Certainly Leganés are in need of goals and while Carrillo gave no indication at Southampton that he is the striker to do that, Pellegrino knows the Estudiantes academy product well.

After breaking into the Estudiantes first team and making his debut in 2011, it was under Pellegrino that Carrillo became a central figure at the club and a regular goal scorer in the Argentinian top flight.

A popular figure in La Plata after progressing through the academy, Carrillo was a big, powerful classic centre forward, who even at a young age was capable of playing up front alone. At around six feet three inches tall, Carrillo poses a strong aerial threat, can play with his back to goal and link play but also possesses an underrated ability with his feet.

His build-up play is good and his movement and positional sense around the penalty area is excellent and during his time in La Plata, Carrillo demonstrated admirable leadership qualities, not often found in young players, captaining the side on occasion before his sale.

Southampton supporters will understandably question that and will be hoping that this loan could help the club recoup what at present has been one of the worst transfers in their history. However, it could yet prove to be an astute piece of business for Leganés and certainly Carrillo has it all to prove.