Jefferson Cáceres and Christian Nwachukwu were left-field arrivals for Sheffield United on transfer deadline day
They arrived on deadline day as two of the most unusual transfers in recent memory, but more than a month later, Sheffield United fans are still waiting for their first glimpses of Jefferson Cáceres and Christian Nwachukwu in red and white. The two served as test subjects for the new Blades owners’ transfer model, which used artificial intelligence to identify targets.
Nwachukwu, a 19-year-old Nigerian, attracted the spotlight when playing for Bulgarian First League club Botev Plovdiv, while Cáceres, 22, formerly played for F. B. C. Melgar in Peru. While Cáceres has visited England, completing media duties at the Shirecliffe training ground and posing for selfies with fans at home games, Nwachukwu’s presence in the UK was initially delayed.
Neither has lately been named in the Blades’ U21 squad, which is considered as a more natural fit for the duo than rushing them into the first-team setup while they adjust to life in England, prompting doubts from some fans about their visa and work permit statuses.
Regulations for players wishing to relocate to England toughened following Brexit, with visas given based on a points system that considers a player’s international experience, the number of minutes they have played, and the success of both their previous club and the league in which that club participates.
Clubs can also import players from outside to the UK as ESC (elite significant contribution) players if they can demonstrate considerable potential at an elite level and will make a big contribution to football in the UK. According to two online calculations, neither Cáceres nor Nwachukwu appear to fit the international sportsperson visa requirements, making the ESC the most likely avenue to bring them to Bramall Lane.
The Star believes that the process of obtaining the necessary documents for the pair is well on and is in various stages with two different authorities, but the goal is that both will be cleared by the end of this month. Cáceres is said to have undertaken some testing in his early days at United, with the club’s coaching staff aware of the acclimatisation process both players will face in South Yorkshire.
Leave a Reply