Exclusive: Southampton agree deal to sign Ronnie Edwards
Southampton have agreed a deal to sign Peterborough United defender Ronnie Edwards, sources have told Football Insider.
The Saints had a bid accepted by the League One side and have now reached a full agreement over the terms of the deal.
Football Insider reported on 27 June that the club had opened talks to sign Edwards, and they have since moved quickly to reach an agreement ahead of rivals.
Tottenham are among the Premier League big guns who have close watched the rising star.
Edwards, 21, has agreed to sign a four-year contract at St Mary’s with the option to extend the deal for a further year.
The deal is expected to be announced soon, once the centre-back completes his medical and formalities at Southampton’s training ground.
Southampton agree deal to sign Ronnie Edwards from Peterborough
After earning promotion to the Premier League last season, Southampton targeted Edwards to help strengthen their squad ahead of their bid to remain in the top division.
Edwards joined Peterborough from Barnet in 2020 and has gone from strength to strength, leading to constant interest from Premier League clubs.
Tottenham were among the sides considering a move to sign him this summer.
The 22-year-old has made 142 appearances for Posh, as well as having represented England at Under-19 and Under-20 level.
Last season, he made 55 appearances across all competitions as Peterborough finished fourth, falling to a playoff defeat over two legs against eventual promotion winners Oxford United.
He was also voted the League One Young Player of the Season and helped his club to lift the EFL Trophy.
Moving ahead of their competition to secure a deal early in the transfer window will be seen as a coup by the recruitment team at Southampton as they continue to improve Russell Martin’s squad.
Edwards’ transfer will follow the arrivals of Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Charlie Taylor, Adam Lallana and Rento Takaoka after a busy start to the summer.
In other news, Oxford United are leading the race to sign Louis Sibley.
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