You’d think by this time in September, that all the rumours and hoodwinking would die down. You’d be wrong. Swansea’s Italian manager, Fran Guidolin, is looking to pull his Italian connections to seal a deal for former Juventus champion, central defender, Martin Caceres, who in turn is a subject of interest of West Brom’s. All this would have surely left Caceres’ former manager, Antonio Conte, mildly annoyed considering his long-standing aspirations to get the utility man to Stamford Bridge. T4O thinks it’s up in the air, but strives to chalk up a hurriedly-written analysis of the Uruguayan international, before another club joins the line of courters.
Overview
A testament to his uncanny technical ability as a defender that the Uruguayan International can play up to six roles on the pitch. When Martin Caceres is on the ball, he’s a prime figure of composure and unflinching concentration, leading Barcelona to put a hefty outlay on Villarreal’s table, without the centre-back even getting to don the yellow jersey of the Yellow Submarines.
Gifted with uncanny levels of ambidexterity, he’s been known to put in consistently churning out 8/10 performances when played as a right midfielder, right wing-back, a central defensive midfielder, and well as being deployed all across the back as a full-back and a centre-back.
Such adaptability will not be under-appreciated by either Tony Pulis’ West Bromwich Albion, or Francesco Guidolin’s Swansea City. Alternatively, his competency in possession in the centre of the pitch, has seen his national side’s gaffer, Oscar Tabarez, give him the responsibility of alternating between him Guzman Pereira and Arevalo Rios as the role of a sheet anchor.
His distribution is directed at getting the tempo ticking from the back, and thereby setting the tone of the next passage of play.
The five-time Serie A champion and treble-winner with Barca, which includes a Champions League trophy, will instil a winning mentality into whichever side that plies his services.
His perception of space and lack of it, dictates how he reacts during a particular match situation, a trait that is instinctual among certain players. Looking to play the correct pass, and not the obvious one, he is crucial for a team that lacks verticality through the middle.
Being Uruguayan, he brings to the for a restless spirit, that they call the Garra Charrua: a form of knife-between-the-teeth determination, that is worth its weight in gold, in some of the bigger matches, either Swansea or West Brom will look to navigate.
Verdict
Martin Caceres is the perfect defensive utility player. And football has a long history of players of such calibre being undermined by their respective clubs, just on the virtue of not letting them settle in.
However, if procured, his talents will come to the center-stage, and he’s easily be regarded and one of the most competent, yet unassuming ball-playing defenders in this edition of the Premier League.
