The Southampton defenders have both been linked with a summer exit but they are unlikely to let both leave so what now for Everton?
The footballing world was united in stunned silence when the reports broke that Glen Johnson, yes that Glen Johnson, had been linked with Barcelona. Cedric Soares, however, appears a far better fit for the Catalan giants with The Telegraph reporting that he has been identified as a long-term successor to Dani Alves.
Right-back has been something of a problem positon for Barca this season with Sergi Roberto very much a stop gap and the previously out-of-favour Aleix Vidal ruled out for five months as soon as he finally won over Luis Enrique.
And The Telegraph reports that Cedric, an energetic presence on the overlap and a fine one-on-one defender, could be the subject of a £15 million bid in the summer, meaning the Saints could post yet another impressive profit for a player they signed for cheap and developed.
And the Euro 2016 champion has hardly played down the links.
“It’s always good,” Cedric said in quotes reported by talkSPORT. “Any player, regardless of the club he represents, likes to see teams of this magnitude interested.
“It’s a sign that I’m on the right track.”
What impact this has on the chances of Everton swooping for Cuco Martina are yet to be confirmed.
Sky Sports reported last summer that Ronald Koeman wanted to sign the understudy right-back from his old employers and, with The Toffees seemingly still on the lookout for defensive reinforcements, it would be no surprise to see the 27-year-old once again on their radar.
Martina is out of contract at the end of the season but if Cedric is spirited away by Barcelona, despite chairman Ralph Krueger insisting that there would be no wholesale changes this summer, via Sky Sports, the former FC Twente man could suddenly become an important part of the Saints’ plans.
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