Southampton have swiftly and quietly completed the signing of English centre-back Steven Caulker on season-long loan deal from Queens Park Rangers for a fee of £1.2million.
Caulker, 23, has joined the Premier League side following the relegation of Queens Park Rangers to the Championship last season. The former Swansea City and Cardiff defender will wear the number 26 for the Saints.
Praise from Les Reed
Southampton Executive Director of Football talked up the transfer, saying the club "have tracked Caulker for years" and that he is a player with "a good blend of experience and potential who is determined to grow and prove himself at the club."
Speaking to the club’s official website, Les Reed also shed light on the reasoning for the signing, claiming the club needed depth at the position following the loss of Romanian 26 year-old Florin Gardos for up to seven months after having a knee operation last week.
Caulker, who has already represented England at senior level, as well as Great Britain in the 2012 Olympics, was excited to join the ‘ambitious’ club and to play for a ‘great’ manager in Ronald Koeman. He added: “I’m very pleased and very excited. This club has done fantastically well, especially over the last two years.”
Another summer signing
He will join up with squad today and he becomes the Saints’ sixth arrival of the summer, following the signings of Juanmi, Cedric Soares, Cuco Martina, Jordie Clasie and Martin Stekelenburg.
Although Reed stated that this signing was pulled off following the injury to Gardos, the club's number one option at centre back and team captain, Jose Fonte, has recently been linked with a move back to his former club Crystal Palace.
According to ESPN, Palace boss Alan Pardew is keen on a centre back to bolster his defence before the start of the season, and wants to be reunited with the 31 year-old Portuguese, whom he signed for Southampton back in 2010.