Southampton full-back Cedric Soares set to complete Inter move

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The Nerazzurri will pay a reported loan fee of €500k for the Portugal international full-back, with a purchase option of €11 million

Southampton defender Cedric Soares has completed a medical as he closes in on a move to Inter.

According to Sky Sport Italy, Inter will pay a loan fee of €500,000 to obtain the Portugal international until the summer, with the option to buy the player outright for a fee of €11 million (£9.5m/$12m).

The 27-year-old successfully completed medical tests at the club's CONI headquarters in Milan and will now finalise the details of the loan contract before an official announcement is made.

Cedric spent four years at Southampton, making over 100 Premier Leagueappearances for the club.

He was also a European Championship winner with Portugal in 2016, playing in four matches over the tournament, including the 1-0 win over France in the final.

The right-back went on to make three appearances at the 2018 World Cup, although he did not feature in the 2-1 defeat to Uruguay in the round of 16.

Cedric has been in and out of the team at Southampton since Ralph Hasenhuttl's appointment as first-team manager, with his last league start coming against Chelsea on January 2.

His only goal of the season came in what was Mark Hughes's final match before he was sacked by the club, a 2-2 draw with Manchester United at St Mary's Stadium.

Inter are currently third in the Serie A table and have brought in Cedric to provide competition at full-back for the likes of Danilo D'Ambrosio, Sime Vrsaljko and Kwadwo Asamoah.

There are also reports that Vrsaljko may need to undergo knee surgery after feeling discomfort in the 0-0 draw with Sassuolo on Saturday.

The Nerazzurri are next in action against Torino on Sunday, before a Coppa Italiaquarter-final meeting with Lazio on January 31.

Southampton, meanwhile, appear likely to continue to put faith in 19-year-old French defender Yan Valery in the right wing-back role.

He only made his Premier League debut for the club in the 2-2 draw with United but has appeared in eight games since then, including the 2-1 victory over Everton last time out.

Next up for the Saints is a league clash with Crystal Palace, with Hasenhuttl's side not playing this weekend having been knocked out of the FA Cup at the third-round stage by Derby County.