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Nathaniel Clyne to Liverpool may not officially be a done deal quite yet, but it’s starting to look everything but following news that Southampton had a bid for the right back’s presumptive replacement accepted. Sporting Lisbon have reportedly accepted Saints’ bid for 23-year-old Portuguese international Cedric Soares, beating out Stoke City for the promising young right back.
If the reports are accurate, Southampton will end up paying around £3.5M for the player, a bargain fee for a still raw but very promising player who is comfortable anywhere on the right flank. Soares made 35 appearances for Sporting in all competitions last season, scoring a goal and adding three assists for Portugal’s third-place side. As with Clyne at Southampton, Soares had a year remaining on his current deal and was always likely to move on.
Unlike with Clyne, though, the reported £3.5M price would appear to reflect the reality of that dwindling contract. Soares isn’t on Clyne’s level yet, but he’s a solid, promising young player who has made three appearances for the Portuguese national team during the current round of Euro qualifiers, and though his purchase represents more of a gamble than Clyne’s would for Liverpool, Southampton appear to have once again dug up a shrewd bargain.
Having done so, they will now feel more comfortable in saying goodbye to Clyne, who will likely soon become the fourth player in two years to make the switch from St. Mary’s to Anfield. Liverpool’s last offer of £10M was rejected by Southampton, who continue to insist they are looking for a £15M payday. The latest reports from journalists with ties to Liverpool suggest there is hope an offer in the £11-12M range might be accepted.
