Following hot on the heels of Juanmi’s move to St Mary’s Stadium, Sporting Lisbon right-back Cedric Soares penned a four-year deal with Southampton on June 18, amid competition from Stoke City.
Speaking on their latest recruit, Saints’ director of football Les Reed revealed that long-term target Soares will be invaluable as the club fight on multiple fronts next term:
“Cedric represents a quality addition to our squad, and is another player with a desire and hunger to succeed. We have been following Cedric’s progress for some time and felt now was the time to make our move. While there was competition from other Premier League clubs we were confident we would prove to be an attractive option for such an ambitious player. We have now signed two exciting talents early in the window and will continue in our pursuit of Premier League success and our European journey.”
Soares also took time out to discuss his move, with the defender relishing the opportunity to make his mark in the Premier League:
“I joined this club because I believe we can do better and better every year. Everyone knows that the Premier League is a very, very good league – and maybe the best one in the world – so for me it’s a pleasure to be here, but even more of a pleasure to be in Southampton. Southampton is a big, big club in England and is very respected. It’s a club with a lot of history and, for me, it’s very important to play for a big club. I think this is a very good move.”
The History
Soares was born in Singen, Germany but moved to Portugal (the native country of his parents) when he was two years old. At just eight years of age, Soares was integrated into Sporting Lisbon’s youth system, where he remained until the 2010/11 Primeira Liga season. In May of that season, Soares was handed his debut for the senior squad – a 1-0 home league defeat to Vitoria de Setubal. He went on to make four more appearances during the campaign, notching one assist in the process.
To further his development, Sporting sent the right-back on loan to another top-flight outfit, Académica de Coimbra, for the 2011/12 season. While there, he was part of the side that bested his parent club, Sporting, in the Portuguese Cup Final, sealing Académica’s first Taca de Portugal trophy since 1939. Upon his return to Lisbon, Soares became a more regular fixture in the first team throughout the following three seasons, tallying two goals and 11 assists across 89 appearances in all competitions.
On the international stage, Soares accrued a remarkable 72 caps across six levels of Portugal’s youth system before making the step up to the senior squad in 2014. The attacking full-back managed a single assist for the U21 side and has since gone to earn four caps for the full squad.
The Prospects
Soares’ move to Southampton is widely expected to pave the way for their incumbent right-back, Nathaniel Clyne, to complete a £15 million trade to Liverpool or Manchester United. The Merseysiders’ opening £10 million offer was rebuffed last month, yet the Saints are said to be resigned to losing the English defender in the coming weeks.
In an ideal situation for Fantasy managers, Clyne’s proposed switch to Anfield would occur after the player lists are released, thus reducing Soares’ starting price by virtue of him being the “back-up” right-back in their squad. Such a scenario could see him priced around 5.0 in the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) game, though if that doesn’t transpire, a price of 5.5 or even 6.0 looks likely, putting him in line with the likes of Ryan Bertrand and Jose Fonte, who are both due price hikes following strong 2014/15 campaigns.
Soares recorded just two goals for Sporting Lisbon in 94 outings, yet 12 assists over that period highlights his attacking potential. In terms of frequency of assists throughout their careers, the Portugal international trumps Clyne, with his average of one assist every 671 minutes bettering the Englishman’s rate of one every 802 minutes.
Certainly, having racked up 15 clean sheets in each of the last two seasons, Southampton’s backline is likely to arrive on our radars once again. Furthermore, their favourable start to the season (new, EVE, wat, NOR, wba, MUN, SWA) encourages investment in their defensive ranks.
Of the four home ties that Koeman’s troops embark on before their trip to Chelsea in Gameweek 8, the Manchester United clash appears the toughest on paper – although Southampton defeated Louis van Gaal’s outfit 1-0 in their last meeting. Given that the Saints boasted the joint-best clean sheet record (11) at home last term, this bodes well for these early-season exchanges as Koeman looks to take advantage of the fixtures and set the standard for another impressive campaign.
The likely departure of Clyne and the impact on his own price tag will be pivotal to Soares’ potential as a Fantasy asset. In addition, Fantasy managers will also be monitoring the valuation of loan keeper Maarten Stekelenburg, signed just 24-hours ago. He could well trump Soares to emerge as the most budget-friendly defensive option at St Mary’s.
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