Sports

Southampton sign Willy Caballero on deal until end of season after ex-Chelsea goalkeeper impressed during one-month deal

Eastern Europe Journal 4 years ago

SOUTHAMPTON have secured veteran keeper Willy Caballero’s services until the end of the season.

The 40-year-old Premier League legend, who’s previously played for Chelsea and Manchester City, initially joined the Saints in December for one-month.

Caballero has extended his stay with Southampton until the end of the seasonCredit: Getty

The Argentine was roped in to help the Saints deal with a keeper crisis – with both stoppers Alex McCarthy and Fraser Forster out injured.

But Caballero’s impressed boss Ralph Hasenhuttl during his brief stint and the Saints head coach has decided to keep him around until the season ends.

Speaking on persuading Caballero to stay put, Hasenhüttl said on the club’s website: “Willy is a fantastic character who has freshened up our goalkeeper group massively.

“With the experience he brings, he is absolutely an important part of that group, and that was the reason we wanted to convince him to stay with us until the end of the season, and I am very happy he has decided to do this.”

And Caballero also expressed his joy at being given the opportunity to share his wide gulf of experience for a longer period of time at the Saint Mary’s Stadium.

Caballero, who won an Olympic gold medal in 2004 with Argentina, said: “I have really enjoyed my time here so far and I am very pleased to be able to stay for the rest of the season.

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“There is a very positive atmosphere here. It has been good to work with the rest of the goalkeepers, and I hope I can continue to help the team in the coming months.”

Caballero may be joined by a few new faces at the club in this January’s transfer window after the Saints were subject to a £150million takeover by Sport Republic – who are backed by Serbian billionaire Dragan Solak.

Republic, a company fronted by former Brentford chief Rasmus Ankersen, has bought the 80 per cent stake from controversial Chinese businessman Gao Jisheng.

And the Saints are set to become part of a multinational, multi-club group as Sport Republic target further purchases.

Solak made his fortune as founder of United Group, a pay TV, broadband and mobile phone company that operates in the Balkans and South East Europe.

United, now owned by investment firm BC Partners, holds the rights to show Premier League matches in Serbia and other territories.

Solak remains a strategic adviser to United but has now teamed up with Ankersen and another Dane, London-based investor Henrik Kraft, to create a different kind of empire in football.