With the news that Fulham's attempts to take Gary Cahill to Craven Cottage from Chelsea have fallen through, should Saints make their own bid for the defender.

Perhaps Gary Cahill doesn't exactly fit the stereotypical Saints signing but there can be no doubt that we need a leader at the heart of our defence, one who has the experience in the Premier League to guide us through troubled times.

From that perspective Cahill could be a pivotal signing, up to last season he was a regular member of Chelsea's Premier League side but this season has found himself out of the picture completely in League games at least.

A little over a week ago we might well have been a little more desperate to sign Cahill, but after two straight League wins the League table suddenly looks a lot brighter and we can take our hand off the panic button at least temporarily.

If we signed Cahill the plus points would be his experience and leadership, something we desperately need in the centre of our defence , but on the downside he is 33 and whatever fee we paid possibly as high as £9 million, we would not get back.

There is also the little matter of his not insubstantial wages and the fact that he wants a decent length contract, something that Fulham were loathe to give him given their precarious position.

This might all add up to Saints deciding that the central defence problem is not as critical as it was a fortnight ago, that we would be far better spending the money on a signing who will have the potential for several years service rather than a short term fix.

Saints obviously have some targets in mind but might prefer to land them in the summer at a realistic price rather than in an over inflated transfer window.

The wins over Leicester and Everton, two games that we weren't expected to get much out of but yileded six points ave given us a springboard, Ralph Hasenhuttl is not a man to panic, he is confident in what he is doing, under him it looks like Saints are back on track both on and off the pitch and hopefully that means that we stick to the masterplan going forward.

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redandwhitedee added 21:59 - Jan 21 Never in a million years. We’re just finally developing a good back 3 with Stephens, bednarek and Vestergaard with Yoshida and Alfie Jones (who is also very good by the way) also there. Cahill would ruin that. Plus, he’s too slow, old, and let’s be frank, was never very good even at his peak. We only need another Redmond type player - then we’d be a threat. Defensively I’m happy. Midfield maybe could do with some decent back up in case of injuries now that Davis has gone. Shame can’t get Harrison Reed or Clasie back.

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ChristchurchSaint added 22:05 - Jan 21 If we need another central defender, then surely Orban from Leipzig is much more suitable. Just 26, knows the way that RH plays, and probably not so high as Cahill in wages.
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A_Saint_in_Stoke added 22:06 - Jan 21 A few weeks ago another post raised this very question, at that time I did think that he could certainly do a good job for us - and in my opinion, could build our defense around Cahill. Since then we have a better idea of what Ralph future plans are - and unfortunately, they don't fit. Cahill at 33 is looking for a longish contract - and Ralph has stated that he is looking to the future and sign young hungry players to develop their skills - who we can make money when sold on.

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kenis added 22:07 - Jan 21 Er, no we shouldn’t. Wages, age, blocking the acadamy pathway. Find it hard to phathom why Ralph can’t motivate and improve Hoedt but if he has to go for the squad then why would we add another senior pro on even more money?! Bertrand back fit gives CB cover, Yoshida back and the academy players mean we don’t need another cb during January.
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ItchenNorth added 22:43 - Jan 21 No !
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highfield49 added 07:14 - Jan 22 Absolutely no!
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WestSussexSaint added 07:33 - Jan 22 I think Cahill could do a job for us BUT we shouldn’t sign him on a permanent deal. His age etc. and non existent sell on value do not fit Saints profile. However, if we can negotiate the right deal on wages then a loan deal to the end of the season should be considered. Without Hoedt likely to leave and Yoshida going well in the Asian cup, an injury or two could undo all the good work in recent weeks. It would provide cover at CB and give Ralph more time to consider his longer term options to get the right players in the summer. I expect Chelsea would be open to a deal to reduce their wage bill, whether Cahill would go for it is another matter. But if not then we should look at other options.

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Cjay80 added 07:57 - Jan 22 No, the way that Bednarek, Vestergaard, Stephens and Yoshida have played under Ralph, we don't appear to need a CB. Besides, we have Alfie Jones hovering on the fringe and Bertrand can play CB too. I would leave the squad as it is and reassess in May.
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SonicBoom added 09:34 - Jan 22 Maybe not Cahill but anyone who thinks that our defensive problems have suddenly gone away is deluded. We won two games but in between was Derby where we conceded yet another unmarked header in the 6 yard box. We haven't solved that position yet not by a long way.
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saintjf added 10:28 - Jan 22 Yes quite right Sonic Boom. Our defence is no where near good enough with the centre backs we have.
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SaintBrock added 11:35 - Jan 22 Ridiculous suggestion, Cahill is over the top and a million miles away from the profile that Hasenhüttl wants.
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SanMarco added 12:04 - Jan 22 Cahill seems too expensive for what we would get but SonicBoom hits the nail on the head - it would be suicidal to get complacent about our central defensive resources. We need a decent CB to stand beside Bednarek. Ralph may be getting the best out of the others but it doesn't make them good enough players at this level. I think even us pessimists feel we will probably be alright but remember Swansea - they felt pretty good this time last year. If Ralph has a target and that player is going to cost a few more million now than next summer I would go for it now. Why take the risk - we all now the costs of relegation are so much higher than one over-priced player in January.

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EasyTiger added 12:42 - Jan 22 I agree with Sonic Boom & Saintjf - we shouldn't be complacent about our defence. Yes - it is getting better (Bednarek especially) - but still some way to go and lacking quality in depth. I'd trust Ralph (H!)'s judgement on Orban and whether to bring him in to strengthen & lead. Definitely not Cahill except on a bargain rest of season loan while we are waiting for a permanent longer term addition (like Orban) in the summer.

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underweststand added 14:24 - Jan 23 Of course, he looks like a good option. All those Prem. games / England / Champions League etc, but clearly Ralph is looking for younger players who can develop more, buying someone like Cahill always reminds me of the "old dog / new tricks " proverb and for that reason, I'd hold off on this one. Aside from the fact that (if he signed) he would want a long-ish contract and an enormous salary and preferably be closer to London so he doesn't have to move house. There hasn't been a stampede from other Prem. clubs to sign him, so he may decide to wait and do a "John Terry" and sign for a top 6 Championship side who want a bit of extra experience to help them over the line - come May. ...so for me NO!

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