Southampton Confirm Cedric Soares on 4-Year Deal
Southampton have confirmed the signing of right-back Cedric Soares to a new deal which will keep him at the club through 2020, club media said yesterday.
Cédric becomes the latest player to commit to a long-term extension with the club this summer, as the Saints look to cement their core for the future.
Countryman and fellow Euro 2016 champion Jose Fonte is expected to sign a new deal in the coming days, and it is thought that the renewed presence of the team captain and fellow defender tipped Cédric toward recommitting. He was reportedly offered the contract earlier this summer.
Cédric becomes the seventh Southampton player to renew a contract with the club this summer, having joined last year from Sporting CP of his native Portugal. He impressed at the right-back position last year, solidifying a defensive line that played a major role in the club’s success.
Having been selected for Euro 2016 alongside fellow Saint Jose Fonte, Cédric wasted no time in taking the competition by storm, playing a lockdown shift throughout the tournament as Portugal ground out their way to victory.
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In two starts so far this season for the club, the 24 year old has looked solid, closing down the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Juan Mata repeatedly during last week’s match at Manchester United. As a key part of Southampton’s defense, he’s expected to start today’s match vs. Sunderland, where the Saints will look to pick up 3 key points and jump-start their season.
Speaking on the signing, Football Director Les Reed showered the right-back with praise, saying that he “has gone from strength to strength,” in his development with the club.
“At just 24, he now has plenty of experience under his belt at both club and international level, and we believe he will continue to be a key part of the club’s progression for many years to come…he has developed as a player and gained a real understanding of what is required to succeed in the Premier League,” Reed told club media.
Manager Claude Puel also joined in the praise, calling Cédric a “good player, important, [and] a technical player” and predicting a positive season for the right-back.
“I am sure he will do many good things this season,” Puel said.
In all, it’s another signing Southampton fans can rejoice in, and another sign that the club may just be turning the corner from the selling ways of old.