Chelsea are said to be keen on Cedric Soares, as well as two of his Southampton team-mates.
Cedric celebrates with Portugal team-mates after winning Euro 2016
Cedric Soares has become the third Southampton defender to be linked with a move to Premier League leaders Chelsea.
The Portuguese right-back will be the subject of a bid from the Blues this summer, London Evening Standard reports, as will Virgil van Dijk and former Chelsea man Ryan Bertrand.
After an uninspiring first year in England, which largely saw him play second fiddle to Cuco Marrina, Cedric has impressed this season and the Southampton team is more balanced when he plays opposite Bertrand.
Winning the Euros in the summer with Portugal, where he played in all of the knockout games, is another factor that has enhanced Cedric’s reputation and appears to have boosted his confidence.
It also earned him a new contract tying him to Southampton until 2020, and his admirers are not limited to Chelsea.
Cedric’s attacking prowess means he’d be well-suited to playing as a wing-back in Antonio Conte’s system
Manchester City are also chasing Cedric, according to ESPNFC, while Spanish giants Barcelona are another side considering a move says The Telegraph.
Should he depart – and given Saints’s penchant for selling players that wouldn’t be a surprise – they would likely be left with one senior right-back, Jeremy Pied, who has only played once since arriving in the summer because of injury. Cuco Martina is set to be released, as is Jason McCarthy who is currently on-loan at Walsall.
France under-18 international Yan Valery and Richard Bakary, who made his debut for Benin last month, would be the other options at Claude Puel’s disposal.
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