The curious case of Martin Caceres

Yesterday Southampton confirmed that Martin Caceres would leave the club this summer, thus ending one of the most unusual transfers in club history.

Back in January Southampton were faced with the rocking reality that long-serving captain Jose Fonte was to depart the club. He’d been in and out of Claude Puel’s heavily-rotated team and he had his head in other places.

The Saints failed to bring in a centre-back across the remaining weeks of the transfer window and were therefore left without many options – hence the links to free agent Martin Caceres. Two-and-a-half weeks later the Uruguayan joined on the 16th of February.

But the deal whiffed right from the beginning. The defender might of had experience with Barcelona, Sevilla and Juventus but none of them were keen to keep him on in the past and he’s also failed to secure a first team spot. In fact he’s only made 30+ league appearances once in his career, and that in the 2007/08 season for Recreativo.

What’s more, Caceres had been a free agent for SEVEN months before anyone had picked him off of the free agency market, and it doesn’t suggest something was up in the first place then what does?

Sunderland and other Premier League sides were linked with him last summer, and in January once again sides in Italy and Spain were credited with interest in the versatile man, yet nothing came about.

Admittedly in the February before last Caceres has suffered a long-term injury that likely had him struggling for fitness beyond the summer, but it still seems unusual.

When the now 30-year-old joined the club in February the fans were naturally giving in allowing the defender a few weeks to reach full match fitness, having gone a year without playing.

However it took until the middle of May – the 13th to be precise – before Caceres made his full Southampton debut, having previously only made appearances for the U-23’s side.

Before the defender made his full debut the Saints had gone on a run of five games without a win, only suggesting further than rotation was needed before he was brought in.

Caceres was impressive on his debut, despite it ending as his only appearance for the club. It heavily suggests something deeper was going on. Something the fans didn’t know about.

He has been banned from driving in the past whilst at Juventus, and has an injury-prone record for just about every team he’s played for. Maybe he didn’t get on with Puel? Maybe he never really gave it his all? Maybe he was brought in my Les Reed without the manager really wanting him?

What’s for sure is that if reports are true then Caceres was the highest-earning footballer in Southampton’s history, bringing in a reported £100,000 a week across the three-or-so months he was part of the squad.

Something was definitely going on behind the scenes as to why his game-time was so limited, but that’s something we may never find out. All we know is that as he prepares to leave at the end of his contract, Martin Caceres will remain one of the most interesting signings in Saints history.