Chelsea finally unveiled their July 1st signing and it was Willy Caballero. The goalkeeper replaces Asmir Begovic in a very profitable deal for the Blues.
Rumours had suggested that Chelsea were holding off on transfer announcements until July 1st. The Blues did unveil a new player on Saturday, with Willy Caballero arriving at Stamford Bridge. Although the announcement was underwhelming, it was a coup for the club as they looked for an Asmir Begovic replacement.
Begovic was initially signed for £8 million. The Bosnian, though, is too good to play second fiddle, especially at the age of 30. Hence, he left the club this summer with Bournemouth buying him for £10 million.
Chelsea made a small profit on the former Stoke City man. However, the financial gain was extended by the Caballero deal. The Argentine was without a contract after leaving Manchester City and thus the Blues picked him up for free.
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At the age of 35, Caballero is very much the right fit for a back-up role. A long career with stints in Argentina, Spain and England has seen Caballero prove himself as a safe pair of hands between the posts.
Even though he may just be around for a season or two, he is certainly a fantastic deputy should Thibaut Courtois get injured. Caballero played quite a bit for Pep Guardiola last season so he will be more in tune than most other 35-year-old goalkeepers.
For all the criticism Chelsea have taken over the years, they have become incredibly smart in the transfer market. Deals like selling Papy Djilobodji for £8 million, Oriol Romeu for £5 million and Ramires for £25 million have been remarkably profitable.
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So while the signing of Caballero perhaps wasn’t the blockbuster deal fans were craving, it is another indication that the Blues are making shrewd and intelligent moves in the transfer market. Now…announce Griezmann?