Chelsea entertain another potential signing from Southampton — report

The absence of Victor Moses in Chelsea’s opening match of the season served as stark reminder of the inadequacies of the squad as far as depth is concerned. Not only was César Azpilicueta an ineffective replacement at right wing-back, his absence destroyed the usual cohesiveness in the back three as well. While the latter should be able to be ironed out with more training time, the former needs actual signings in the transfer market.

To that effect, according to a few reports including the Telegraph, Chelsea have added Southampton's Cedric Soares to the two-week panic-buying wishlist, where he joins current teammate Virgil van Dijk. Other wright wing-back options already on the list include Arsenal's Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Paris Saint-Germain's Serge Aurier and Valencia's João Cancelo. Cedric may be a cheaper, and in some cases, more available option.

Reports from Italy (but why?) put the 25-year-old’s price at a paltry €15m, which the Mirror re-reported as £15m. Either way, as the Telegraph believe, he could be available for less than £20m, which in today’s market is basically a bargain. But with three years left on his contract and with Southampton basically under new ownership, there’s probably little pressure to sell.

Although Cedric has not lit up the league since his arrival from Sporting Lisbon in 2015, he’s proven a solid player who could certainly add a couple fresh legs to the squad. Better than nothing?