Porto swoop for Saints defender Bednarek | OneFootball

Southampton have reportedly reached an agreement to sell defender Jan Bednarek to Portuguese side Porto in a €7.5million (£6.5million) deal.

The 29-year-old has made 254 appearances for the Saints since arriving from Lech Poznan in 2017, but has been made available for transfer this summer.

Poland international Bednarek signalled his intention to move on during the current window, having previously seen a January bid from AS Roma turned down.

Despite signing a new three-year deal in September 2024, off the back of his influential role in Southampton’s Championship promotion campaign, Bednarek has now been cleared to leave.

Manager Will Still omitted him from the club’s pre-season tour in Girona, Spain, a decision that further hinted at his likely departure.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Southampton have now finalised terms with Porto, who finished third in Liga Portugal last season, to offload the centre-back for €7.5m.

Jan Bednarek's 'Top 5' Premier League stats last season

- Only three players (Wan-Bissaka, Robinson and Gravenberch) made more interceptions than Bednarek (56) in the Premier League last season.

- The defender impressively ranked joint-ninth in the division for pass completion - the Pole ending the campaign with a 92.9% completion rate.

- Although the Saints endured a torrid season, Bednarek certainly put his body on the line: ranking eighth in the Premier League for shots blocked (36).

- The Poland international also ranked 11th in the top tier for clearances made, with 189.

- Bednarek was dispossessed on only three occasions last term in the league, and only took nine unsuccessful touches. To give this context, Liverpool's title-winning centre-back Virgil Van Dijk was dispossessed five times and took 10 unsuccessful touches.