If some English interpretations of Spanish reports are to believed, Martin Caceres to Barcelona is a very real possibility. However, those interpretations have been wide of the mark, at best the Spanish media have been trying to pluck potential options out of thin air, not reporting what Barcelona are actually going to do.
Free agent Caceres has been on the verge of a move to Southampton for around a week, and whilst there will be concern Claude Puel hasn’t concluded a deal yet, it’s unlikely that has anything to do with Barcelona.
Southampton will be concerned that Caceres hasn’t played for a year, and hasn’t been registered to a club since he left Juventus at the end of June. Out until October due to an Achilles injury, Caceres has been close to joining several clubs.
He’s flown to Turkey, passed a medical with AC Milan, and now finds himself close to Southampton. Fitness and disagreements over salary package have been the issues over the past few months for Caceres, and Puel will know it’s very much buyer beware
As for Barcelona, Mundo Deportivo take a sensible look at the situation on Tuesday and say the club won’t sign someone just for the sake of it. There are limited options, and those options aren’t thought to be very attractive.
Barcelona already have Sergi Roberto, and there’s always La Masia products, but Mundo Deportivo say none of those are standing out for the right back position right now.
If needs must, Barcelona could deploy Javier Mascherano there, although he recently picked up a hamstring injury. It’s not beyond the realms of reason that Jordi Alba or Lucas Digne could swap the left for the right, or a versatile right footed midfielder like Ivan Rakitic, Andre Gomes or Rafinha could fill in.
It’s a real shame Aleix Vidal suffered such a bad injury after fighting his way back to the team, but it’s probably not such a bad situation that Southampton need to worry about Barca competition for Caceres.
