Earlier this week, Southampton reinforced their depleted defensive ranks with the capture of Queens Park Rangers centre-back Steven Caulker on a season-long loan deal. Speaking on the move, the former Spurs defender explained that Ryan Bertrand’s progression from loanee to permanent signing in 2014/15 inspired his decision:
“It gave me reassurance if ever I needed any. I was always set on joining the club and I will speak with Ryan now I’ve signed. He was in a similar situation last year, joining on loan and then making his move permanent. You’ve only got to look at his success to see what a great club Southampton is and where they can take you. So many young English players have done really well here. I’m really looking forward to it. It’s an exciting challenge but first I have to work to earn my place in the team.”
The History
Born in Feltham, London, Caulker joined Tottenham Hotspur’s youth ranks at the age of 15, penning a professional contract with the club in July 2009. The six foot three inch centre-back moved to Yeovil Town on loan for the 2009/10 season, tallying two assists in 44 starts.
Upon returning to White Hart Lane, Caulker made his senior debut in September 2010, before being sent out on loan to Bristol City for the 2010/11 Championship campaign. Despite suffering knee cartilage damage in March that ended his season prematurely, Caulker was honoured as the Robins’ Young Player of the Year, having bagged two goals and assists in 29 outings.
Caulker then embarked on his third successive loan spell, teaming up with Swansea City in the summer of 2011. After starting in the Swans’ opening quartet of match-ups, the England international succumbed to another knee cartilage injury, ruling him out of their next ten league ties. On his return to full fitness, Caulker started all but two of the Welsh club’s remaining fixtures, notching one assist across 26 appearances.
Impressed by Caulker’s progression, Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas integrated the robust centre-back into his squad for the 2012/13 season. Caulker recorded 18 league outings in all, chalking up two goals and as many assists along the way. In the summer of 2013, Tottenham accepted an £8 million bid from Cardiff City, where he went on to register a career-high tally of five goals in 38 appearances.
In the wake of the Bluebirds’ relegation, Caulker returned to the top tier with QPR. The Hoops shipped the most goals of any side (73) last term, with Caulker tallying one goal and assist in 35 outings.
On the international stage, the defender has racked up 21 appearances for the England Under 19 and 21s, scoring a total of two goals. He has also netted in his only appearances for the senior side, in a friendly against Sweden back in 2012.
The Prospects
With Florin Gardos facing up to seven months on the sidelines following knee surgery and Toby Alderweireld rejecting the chance to return to St Mary’s Stadium, Koeman admitted last week he was on the lookout for “one or maximum two centre-backs for the season ahead. Upon completion of the deal, the Saints boss cited Caulker’s top-flight experience as key to his decision:
“We’re very pleased to have him because we need players in that position. We need the competition there. It’s a good signing for us because we are a little bit weaker in that position than others in terms of numbers. We now have a player with experience in the Premier League and that’s very important. We know that and we are always looking for players who know and are involved in how we play football. We like to build up and we look for players in the defence who can build up the play from behind. That’s always good to have that sort of player.”
Caulker’s arrival now places question marks over Maya Yoshida’s pitch time in the heart of defence. The Japan international has partnered skipper Jose Fonte over the summer and, at a price of 4.5 in Fantasy Premier League (FPL), could be an absolute steal if he can shrug off Caulker’s threat and continue in the first XI. With uncertainty over his starting place, though, Yoshida looks a risky pick.
Until Caulker is afforded a sustained run of starts, the Tottenham academy product also presents a significant risk. Nonetheless, Caulker’s attacking prowess could encourage an uptake in investment if he cements a regular berth- despite scoring just once last term, only four defenders fashioned more attempts on goal (28). Indeed, amongst defenders, Caulker was second only to Branislav Ivanovic (28 to 30) for efforts inside the box, suggesting that Southampton’s set-piece takers could benefit if the centre-half starts to stick away his opportunities.
Given that Caulker, Fonte and Ryan Bertrand all come in at 5.5, it may well be that new right-back Cedric Soares, at a cost of 5.0, looks the safest option right now. Two goals in 65 outings for Sporting Lisbon is somewhat unspectacular yet his frequency of assists (one every 671 minutes) bettered Nathaniel Clyne’s (801 minutes) last season, providing an insight into his attacking potential.
After yet another summer of restructuring, Southampton will do well to replicate their defensive record in the 2014/15 campaign, where they conceded just one more goal (33) than champions Chelsea and ranked third for clean sheets, keeping out their opponents on 15 occasions for the second successive season. Only time will tell whether Saints have recruited wisely again this transfer window and replacements like Soares and Jordy Clasie are equal to their departed counterparts.
The south coast club’s start to the new campaign certainly encourages investment in their rearguard assets, with Koeman’s side facing just three of last year’s top seven in the opening 13 Gameweeks. Providing Caulker can barge his way past Yoshida in the pecking order, his points potential at both ends of the pitch may well be worth monitoring.
