Saints make deadline swoop for Ćaleta-Car
Southampton Football Club is delighted to announce it has completed the signing of Croatia international centre-back Duje Ćaleta-Car, pending a work permit and international clearance.
The 25-year-old has joined on a four-year contract from French side Marseille, completing his move shortly before the transfer deadline.
Ćaleta-Car arrives at St Mary’s having made 132 appearances for the Ligue 1 club, which he joined in 2018, helping them to a second-placed finish last term.
Prior to that, he spent four impressive years in Austria with Red Bull Salzburg, where he also played more than 100 times, while winning the Bundesliga title on four successive occasions and the Austria Cup three times.
He has 23 international caps to his name and also boasts a World Cup runners-up medal as part of the Croatia squad that finished second in the 2018 tournament.
Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhüttl said: “Duje is already a very established and experienced player, who has done an impressive job at his previous clubs.
“He is a big presence on the pitch and he will bring even more quality into our centre-back group. It is important we have good depth and options in this position, and he gives us another very strong one.”
Duje Ćaleta-Car said: “It was really a crazy day. I’m very excited because I spoke with the coach, I think he is a good coach and of course the team – I watched them against Chelsea and in the games before.
“I know the way they play, they have a lot of young players, so I think I can come good in the group and be with them every day, to progress with them together.”
