Portsmouth boss details financial concerns over permanent deal for Santos' Gustavo Caballero
The Blues have an option to sign the energetic left winger for a fixed transfer fee
Gustavo Caballero's Fratton Park future hangs on whether Pompey can successfully renegotiate his transfer fee with Santos.
John Mousinho is open to turning the Paraguayan’s loan stay into a permanent arrangement, having been impressed by the energetic winger.
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The 24-year-old’s ongoing groin problem rules him out of Saturday’s season finale against Birmingham, throwing up the possibility that the Fratton faithful have now seen the last of him.
Under terms of the loan agreement which brought Caballero to the south coast in February, the Blues possess an exclusive transfer option, worth around £2.5m. Effectively putting them at the front of the queue to sign him.
However, Pompey are adamant they will only pay the ‘market value’ for the attacker - and are seeking talks with his Brazil club over reducing the set figure.
’We want a fair reflection of what we believe the market value is’
Mousinho told The News: ‘Everything is considered when deciding whether to buy Gustavo.
‘Cost, performance, injuries and strategy around what we would do elsewhere. If that money goes into signing him, what do we give up in terms of other players we could possibly bring into that position and other players we could bring into the squad?
‘He fares pretty well on performance and pretty well on injury, apart from the fact he’s injured at the minute, but it’s not a disastrous one.
‘The big question will be on that price point and whether we think that’s a fair reflection of what we believe the market value is. To be honest, in terms of Gus, we’ll see what happens in the summer and look to try to negotiate that.
‘The fixed transfer fee and the option is what it is, but that doesn't mean it’s the only price we could possibly pay. Obviously we could put in any offer at any time.
‘So the only offer we would ever put in is what we value Gus at. By the way, I don’t know what that is, we haven’t had the conversation yet.
‘I think he is well-suited to the Championship because of his athleticism, the fact he runs, he’s exciting, he gets bums off seats. He is the type of right winger we really like.
‘It’s not a difficult decision, we want to pursue it. It won’t be about what we can afford as a club, though, it will be about what we value him as a player and whether that matches Santos' valuation.’
A groin injury sustained in the 1-0 win at Middlesbrough has subsequently ruled out Caballero from the remaining five matches of the season.
Regardless, he has made a notable contribution to Pompey’s battle to remain in the Championship, including scoring the breakthrough goal in February’s eye-catching 3-1 win at Millwall.
Overall, the Paraguayan international made 12 appearances, including nine Championship starts, and delighted Pompey’s head coach.
‘To have as big an impact as he has done has been very impressive’
Mousinho added: ‘Gus’ last couple of performances for us against Oxford and Middlesbrough have been really, really good.
‘Actually, put Norwich in there as well, he was a real threat against them. Unfortunately, though, he succumbed to injury and has missed the end of the season.
‘He has adjusted really well. For someone who has come over from Brazil, doesn’t speak a word of English, joined off the back of a big transfer Santos which didn’t necessarily go his way, and to adjust as well as he has done, to have as big an impact as he has done, has been very impressive.
‘Ideally, when you spend a bit you get more quality coming in in terms of those signings. With Gus, though, the only price we’d pay for him is what we would value him at, it doesn’t necessarily mean the option in his contract.
‘We might turn around and say “Okay this is our offer”. Depending on what Santos want to do, I don’t know what the outcome will be.’