After weeks of waiting and waiting, with seemingly no solution in sight, Martin Caceres has arrived at Southampton.
It’s been a roller coaster of a transfer saga, with the deal seemingly taking ages to go through. Nevertheless, Southampton fans can take a sigh of relief that the lack of depth in defence, seems to have finally been solved.
The problem with Caceres though is his lack of game time over the last year. The 29-year-old hasn’t played since February 3 last year, when he ruptured his Achilles tendon against Genoa. That’s over a year without playing a competitive match, so it may take a while to get him match sharp again.
This isn’t to say he won’t make a huge impact, though. There is a reason that the big clubs like Barcelona, Sevilla, and Juventus have employed the centre-back. The talent is obviously there, the trick will be bringing him up to fitness and then maintaining that level.
I don’t think that Caceres will be brought in as a short-term solution in mind. He may be 29, but if he is able to stay fit he could provide a few great years partnering Virgil van Dijk. Their hair would match as well it seems!
This may be a bold prediction, but I don’t think that Caceres will have injury problems here at St Mary’s. He will be looking to prove himself again, and I believe we are the right club to help him do that. He is out of the limelight for the time being, and his inclusion into the squad will be met with satisfaction. He won’t have the pressure on him of playing for a Barcelona or a Juventus after having such a big playing gap, so he will be able to play his natural game and enjoy football once again. 
That being said, how long will it take to bring him up to match fitness? Caceres is inevitably pretty behind in his fitness obviously just in terms of matches. I could see him playing a few times for the Under-23’s before entering into the senior squad fully. I don’t expect him to play in the League Cup Final at all now, unfortunately. The deal has taken too long to go through for him to be match fit by the time of the final.
He will be exactly what we need for the rest of the season though. He will bring fresh determination into the squad. He will bring the composure needed for an inexperienced Jack Stephens to be ushered into the squad with ease. A new face in the team could boost morale as well. His talent is undeniable, and hopefully he can bring stability into the team. Hopefully he will secure us some points in the future, and I look forward to seeing him in a Saints kit, and I wish him a speedy progression towards his match fitness.
I also send Martin Caceres and his family all of the love I can give during this difficult time for him. I understand why he would want to wait and the circumstances would obviously drag this out, I just with the best for him.
These are exciting times for Saints, so let’s welcome Martin into our home with open arms. Let’s make his time here worth it. I’m so excited to see him play for us. St. Caceres has arrived.
