Southampton right-back Cedric Soares has told Record that he is flattered by Barcelona’s reported interest.
What has he said?
Earlier this month, The Telegraph reported that the Portugal Euro 2016 winner has become a surprise transfer target for the Spanish champions.
There is no concrete movement at this stage, but Cedric has not exactly batted away the speculation.
He told Record:
“It’s always good. Any player, regardless of the club he represents, likes to see teams of this magnitude interested, without ever deviating from his focus. It is more motivation to continue working. It’s a sign that I’m on the right track.”
The Catalan giants have struggled to fill the void left by Dani Alves, who joined Juventus last summer.
Aleix Vidal will not return again this season due to an ankle injury, while Sergi Roberto has failed to impress in the right-back role.
Why Southampton need him.
Since joining the Saints from Sporting Lisbon in 2015, Cedric has become an important member of the team.
Winning the European Championships last summer would have boosted his confidence and that is clear to see this season.
Cedric has made 21 appearances in all competitions under Claude Puel, and he was on the losing side in last Sunday’s EFL Cup final against Manchester United.
The 25-year-old’s pace, crossing, ability to tackle and understanding of the game would be missed if he were to depart for the Camp Nou.
From the player’s point of view, there are not many better clubs than Barcelona to come calling for you, so perhaps watch this space…
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