Saints have been linked to signing an out of contract International defender, but will they be scuppered by red tape.

The International defender in question is former Juventus centre half Martin Caceres,

Whispers back in December were saying that Saints were trying to land an out oc contract defender but where waiting for work permit issues to be completed before announcing anything, although no names were being bandied about at that stage.

Now Caceres name is coming up and he could still be signed due to the fact that he is out of contract since being released by Juventus in the summer.

However he would possibly be initially barred from a work permit being a non EU national and needing to have played 30 % of his Countries International matches in the past two years.

Given that due to injury his last appearance for Uruguay was back in November 2015 there is a good chance that this could be the case.

Any potential club could then appeal but that gets complicated.

The appeals process is a points based system under which the panel will award points depending on the circumstances of the transfer. If a player scores four points or more, the panel may recommend that the application is granted. Nonetheless, the panel can still reject the application even if four or more points are scored.

Criteria Points
The value of the transfer fee being paid for the player is in the top 25% of all transfers to Premier League clubs in the previous 2 windows 3 points

The value of the transfer fee being paid for the player is between the 50th and 75th % of all transfers to Premier League clubs in the previous 2 windows 2 points

The wages being paid to the player by the applicant club is in the top 25% of the top 30 earners at the club 3 points

The wages being paid to the player by the applicant club are between the 50th and 75th % of all the top 30 earners at the club 2 points

The player’s current club is in a Top League[3] and the player has played in 30% or more of the available domestic league minutes 1 point

The player’s current club has played in the group stages or onwards of the Champions League, Europa League or the Copa Libertadores within the last 12 months and the player has played in 30% or more of the available domestic league minutes 1 point

If the player does not meet the above points based system review, there is a secondary examination under which if the player scores 5 points or more, the panel may recommend that an application is granted. Points can be scored if, for example, the player has played in the final qualification rounds of the Champions League, Europa League or the Copa Libertadores within the last 12 months and the player has played in 30% or more of the available domestic league minutes.

The review at this stage is more flexible meaning that the panel can take into account the circumstances if no transfer fee is payable (perhaps because the player has reached the end of his contract) or if the player satisfies some but not all of the automatic criteria.

If the player fails to score 5 points or more, there is one final review stage during which further arguments can be made if there are extenuating circumstances that are beyond the control of the player or national association (for example, a long term injury or suspension that has prevented the player from appearing in the last year).

So picking out the bones of that I would hazard a guess that if the target is Caceres then it would have been initially turned down though not playing enough International games, turned down at the second stage through not enough points and could now be at the third or fourth stage.

What we don't know though is if the appeals process has already been exhausted or if indeed it is Caceres that we were attempting to sign.

Saints fans would hope that the chase for a central defender is not quite over, but the problem would be that Caceres for instance or any other out of contract player now havent played since the summer and would be very short of match fitness, although in the longer term this would help us out, in the short term when we really need them it doesn't

Photo: Action Images

SonicBoom added 13:44 - Feb 2 Frankly we should not be at the stage of scrabbling around looking at a work permit for an out of contract player. We are told we have several options for every position and although that doesn't mean we get everyone we go for, we could and should still have secured someone.
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Sanguin added 14:02 - Feb 2 It’s nice to think that the club could be pursuing a defender of this quality, but I’m not convinced it’s true. As you say, even if we do secure him it will be a long time before he’s able to play for us. I’m genuinely upset that we were unable to get a defender in, despite Les Reed saying that Fonte would only go if we had a replacement lined up. I’m incredulous that Palace managed to get Sakho on loan and we didn’t.

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davenbennett added 14:28 - Feb 2 It may be that the club see no reason getting in another CB. We are in a Wembley final, and as long as we do not get relegated and maybe get a top ten finish, that is good enough. The plus side would be the blooding of Stephens, seeing how good Yoshida is without Fonte or VVD, and the rehab of Gardos. Of course, the downside would be they are all crap, and we lose game after game! Only time will tell.

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patred added 15:09 - Feb 2 and if one more of our cb's get injured ????? It's criminal that we did not get one in the window, and someone should be made answerable for putting our clubs Premier league status under threat, and virtually waving a white flag at Man Utd at Wembley...
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richsaints added 15:18 - Feb 2 Crazy situation why on earth let fonte go now and not in the summer when you have time to shop and reorganise regardless of whether he's happy or not as he claims to be a professional he would have accepted it and got on with his job now we look desperate .
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REEDYREEDOREEDZ added 16:32 - Feb 2 Caceres has had massive injury problems for about the last 3 years. He's played very little football in that time. He might never get back to being the player he was. Aparently he wants £100k a week and even West Ham turned him down and went for Fonte instead. He's not the answer, but maybe he is, I guess we're that desperate now that we have to take a punt on a player who's likely to be an expensive disaster.

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SaintPaulVW added 17:12 - Feb 2 If he hasn't played for 6 months, he wont be match fit so even if we sign him it'll take weeks for him to get up to speed. Seems a crazy situation on the face of it. Fonte and Puel must have really fallen out.
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SanMarco added 18:20 - Feb 2 When 11pm struck the other night I thought that we were taking a huge, huge risk but it obviously meant that VVD wouldn't be out for long. How wrong I was - we really are inviting calamity here. Imagine if Yoshi was to be injured. Of course, injuries cannot be catered by having loads and loads of reserves in each position even at the biggest clubs but we are now one Carroll elbow away from having to get to the end of the season with the pairing that played vs Arsenal. With no further defensive injuries I believe we can get to 42 or 43 pts, especially if the new bloke scores a few but WHY take the risk. If we lose these next two he'll be rotating at Wembley...

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legineloc added 18:37 - Feb 2 What has happened to les famous dossier on players and managers, did Koeman burn it when he left, why did we leave it so late in looking, like they wanted the headlines on final day of window, supposed to be looking at sviatchenko but if you leave so late that they can't get a replacement they won't sell, are they gambling VVD will be back shortly after international break

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zonehead added 19:49 - Feb 2 It really is bad shopkeeping from having the two best CB to none at all after the window closed, this was more important than a striker, which I don't think will solve our poor goals ratio as we don't create enough chances!
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SaintBrock added 20:55 - Feb 2 Well chaps top marks to all of you for commendable restraint. Frankly, we are up muddy creek at low tide and the paddles would not have helped us even if we had not sold them. The situation we are in is a disgrace and if that useless excuse for a Director of Football - or whatever grand title he afforded himself - Reed had a shred of decency about him he would resign on the spot for his sheer bungling of a very predictable situation. I am no expert of body language but anybody watching Claude Puel today must have felt really sorry for him as he dutifully but reluctantly faced the press to answer questions to which obviously he too needs answers. The guy was clearly depressed about the whole situation he finds himself in, being left with very few cards to sort out this mess on the field with the team on the slide down the table. My first thought was that this guy is so really peed off with what has happened in January that he seems ready to walk. He knows very well if we get into a relegation battle and heaven forbid get relegated he'll by the culprit and the one who is remembered for failing and not Les Reed, who no doubt already has his excuse ducks in a row.

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qnehl1 added 07:46 - Feb 3 Caceres is a great CB on Fifa. Thats good enough reason to sign him!
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legineloc added 13:39 - Feb 3 What does this mess show VVD, who has numerous suitors, they sold his mate and defensive partner and replaced him with ? Does VVD think the club has no drive/ambition, keeping him in the summer was always going to be a up hill struggle, but if the club had gone out and spent the money they got for fonte and maybe a bit more for someone a little younger equal quality than fonte, talking of fonte he's made side ward move to west ham, was he offered a longer contact, felt more loved by the masters at west ham? Or felt he would play more

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