Even after surprisingly signing David Luiz from PSG for a reported fee of £34m, Chelsea boss Antonio Conte is keen on adding another defender to his squad. With the transfer window being over, the Italian has a name on his mind who is available as a free agent and is thus not under the constraints of the transfer window. It means that Chelsea can sign him any time they want to. With the desperation for having central defenders in his squad, it is becoming more and clearer that Conte is keen on making the provisions available for him switching to a 3 man backline in the future or change the formations in a bid to mix things up.
The defender Conte aims to bring to Stamford Bridge is Martin Caceres. Caceres has played for some of the biggest clubs in his career so far, with spells at Barcelona and Juventus. The Uruguayan has been one of the most established defenders of the national team for some time now and has played under Conte for the Old Lady as well. A reliable defender strong in the tackle Caceres will be a good option based on the fact that the manager already knows him pretty well.
The Uruguayan is also at a prime age for a defender with 29, having the physicality to match the Premier League. The biggest problem with the transfer can be the physical condition of the player. Caceres hasn’t played since his Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury which he suffered in February of this year. The injury prevented him from participating in the Copa Centenario of this year where Uruguay were knocked out in the group stages losing two out of their three matches. Caceres was missed in their defence. The injury problems have also troubled the player in 2015 as he was excluded from the 2015 Copa America as well when he had another ankle injury in March 2015.
Conte is very well aware of the situation regarding the player and his injuries and has been reportedly running checks on the defender’s fitness. If he is able to pass his tests then the Uruguayan would be a very useful option for Chelsea in their defence. He might not be playing regularly but will make an excellent backup, with his vast experience and leadership, he will also be very useful when on the pitch. Chelsea leaked 53 goals last year and their manager would want a drastic improvement on that front if the team are to challenge for silverware this season.
