Southampton are reportedly on the verge of bagging the services of former Manchester City and Chelsea goalkeeper Willy Caballero.
According to a report from The Athletic, Southampton are about to get their hands on Willy Caballero. After spending the first few months of the new season as a free agent, it appears the experienced goalkeeper is set to join the St. Mary’s camp soon on a short-term deal.
Southampton’s desire to sign Caballero stems from their recent setbacks surrounding the fitness of their two main goalkeepers. While Fraser Forster was ruled out for the foreseeable future due to a muscle problem, Alex McCarthy recently picked up a hamstring injury during the 1-1 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion on the weekend.
McCarthy’s injury effectively leaves Ralph Hasenhuttl devoid of any other reliable first-team options in the goalkeeping department. As such, he is now looking towards Caballero to fill that gap in between the sticks and help out his team until the end of the season.
Formerly of Boca Juniors and Elche, the Argentine shot-stopper came to England back in 2014, joining Manchester City for €8 million. The veteran played behind Joe Hart during the first few years, before the club eventually moved on, signing the likes of Claudio Bravo and Ederson Moraes.
During his time at the Etihad, Caballero made 48 competitive appearances before joining Chelsea on a free transfer in 2017. He played at Stamford Bridge for four years, largely playing the role of a backup goalkeeper and making a total of just 38 appearances.
While the 40-year-old won the Premier League with Mancjester City, he was much more successful with Chelsea, securing the UEFA Champions League, FA Cup and the UEFA Europa League. However, he was released by the Blues in the summer and replaced by Marcus Bettinelli in the summer.
But after a few months of training with AFC Wimbledon to keep himself fit, Caballero is set for his return to the Premier League. Only this time, he is set to become a starting goalkeeper for Southampton until the likes of Forster and McCarthy recover. Given the way McCarthy has performed this season, the Argentine may even retain his status as first-choice goalkeeper long after either of the two return to full fitness.
For the time being, though, Caballero will focus on the upcoming challenges ahead and help Southampton get through a busy Christmas schedule later this month.
