Why Martin Caceres Is the Forgotten Juventus Player Who Will Explode in 2015/16

Juventus have many reasons to believe their current domestic dominance will continue unabated in 2015/16, with the majority of their Serie A rivals undergoing another summer of upheaval as they look to bridge the gap between themselves and the all-conquering Bianconeri.

Massimiliano Allegri will be looking to deliver a historic fifth-consecutive league title while also hoping to enjoy more success in the Coppa Italia and Champions League. The coach will be forced to do so without Carlos Tevez and Andrea Pirlo, however, with the two stars set to officially leave the club in the coming weeks.

Their exits rob the team of creativity—a matter discussed in detail here—and Juventus must look to quickly replace them in the transfer market. Yet if there are concerns over attacking solutions ahead of the new season, Allegri will surely be concerned about things at the opposite end of the pitch as well.

Juve’s back line was superb in 2014/15, with Gigi Buffon keeping no fewer than 18 clean sheets in Serie A, and the captain can thank those ahead of him for contributing massively to that tally. The 37-year-old himself was unquestionably in great form once again, yet statistics from Fox Soccer show he made fewer saves (63) than any of the league's other regular goalkeepers.

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The likes of Leonardo Bonucci, Patrice Evra and Stephan Lichtsteiner were consistently brilliant, while Giorgio Chiellini suffered a poor start to the campaign but improved in the final months. Andrea Barzagli returned from injury to play a major role, while Daniele Rugani of Empoli seems set to arrive ahead of the new season to learn from—and eventually succeed—those veteran stars.

The 20-year-old was analysed in depth in this previous column, but another established player may well make a more telling contribution. Martin Caceres once again struggled to maintain his fitness last year, but the Uruguayan was excellent for Juventus on the occasions he was available to play.

Allegri called upon him regularly in the opening months of the season, fielding him on the right of a three-man back line or as an orthodox right-back once the team switched to using a back four. In September and October, Caceres was arguably Juve’s best defender, showing all the qualities that once saw Barcelona spend €16.5 million on him, per their official website.

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While he may have failed to live up to expectations at Camp Nou, the 28-year-old appears to enjoy life in Turin, and he scored a crucial goal in January’s win over Napoli. He possesses the speed and athleticism many of the club’s other central defenders lack, and while they often mask that with timing and positional awareness, Caceres can match the continent’s quickest strikers for pace.

Yet he still displays intelligent tactical acumen too, with statistics from WhoScored.com showing he averaged 1.8 tackles and 0.9 interceptions per game. Caceres is also smart in possession, with the same source showing he made 70.5 passes per game in the Champions League, connecting with an impressive 92.2 percent of those attempts, the latter figure a team high in 2014/15.

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Furthermore, as the graphic above—courtesy of Squawka.com—highlights, Caceres led all Juventus players in terms of challenges won, showing just how effective he can be. His ability to fill in anywhere across the defensive unit makes him a valuable asset, and Sky Italia believe the player will sign a new contract shortly, with his current deal set to expire next summer (h/t Football Italia).

That versatility, combined with his international quality and ability, makes the Montevideo native an important player for Juventus, as he adds to what is clearly a deep and talented squad. If he can stay healthy, Caceres—the forgotten man of this widely admired Bianconeri defence—could well be the man who explodes into form in 2015/16.