Southampton have signed Portuguese international defender Cedric Soares from Sporting Lisbon, the Premier League club announced on Thursday.

Sporting said in a statement to the Lisbon stock exchange that the fee for the 23-year-old German-born right-back was 6.5 million euros (4.7m pounds, $7.4m), plus a percentage of any future sell-on fee.

Cedric, who has agreed a four-year deal, is the second major signing of the week at St Mary's following the arrival of Spanish international forward Juanmi from Malaga for £5 million on Tuesday.

"I joined this club because I believe we can do better and better every year," Cedric, who won his fourth cap for Portugal in a 1-0 friendly win over Italy on Tuesday, told the club's official website.

"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 arrival of another right-back will increase speculation regarding the future of Nathaniel Clyne, with the Saints yet to comment on the England defender's situation as he enters the final year of his contract and both Liverpool and Manchester United understood to be interested.