SOUTHAMPTON SIGN STEAUA BUCHAREST DEFENDER FLORIN GARDOS

English premier league club Southampton have signed Romania defender Florin Gardos for an undisclosed fee from Steaua Bucharest, on a four-year deal.

Southampton sign Steaua Bucharest defender Florin Gardos

The 25-year-old centre-back arrives for an undisclosed fee, reported to be around £6m, and becomes Southampton's second signing of the day following the arrival of Hull City striker Shane Long.

The Romania international centre-back is Southampton's seventh signing.

"I've had a very good first impression of the club. There's a very big difference between what I had back home and what is here.

Southampton boss Koeman told the club's website: “I am very happy to have Florin here.

“He’s still a young player so he can develop himself a lot more, and that’s part of the ambition of Southampton. 

“From the beginning, after [Dejan] Lovren left the club, we paid a lot of attention to Florin. 

“Everybody knows the big names and the big players, but it’s always more difficult to find one who’s not so well known. The information the club has given to me about him has been very good.

“For now and for the future, we have a very good central defender.”

Gardos added: “This is one of the happiest days of my life. It’s the biggest step of my career so far.

“Coming to the Premier League is a very big occasion for me, and Southampton was a team that had a really good last season so this wasn’t really a hard decision.

“I’ve had a very good first impression of the club. There’s a very big difference between what I had back home and what is here.

“I’ve always said that coming to Premier League would be a dream come true, and luckily I’ve been able to achieve that dream now.”

The south-coast club have seen six players depart St Mary's this summer, with striker Rickie Lambert, midfielder Adam Lallana and defender Dejan Lovren all moving to Liverpool.

Left-back Luke Shaw has joined Manchester United, Arsenal have signed right-back Calum Chambers and forward Dani Osvaldo has left for Inter Milan on loan.

Southampton have already signed keeper Fraser Forster, defender Ryan Bertrand, midfielders Dusan Tadic and Saphir Taider, and strikers Graziano Pelle and Long for the new season which begins this weekend.