Saints have signed Chelsea left-back Ryan Bertrand on a season-long loan.

The 24-year-old passed a medical today after agreeing to move to St Mary's, becoming the third arrival of the summer.

The Daily Echo understands that Saints also possess an option to sign Bertrand permanently next summer.

Bertrand, who has been capped twice by the senior England team and who started in Chelsea’s 2012 Champions League final victory against Bayern Munich, is seen as an ideal replacement for Luke Shaw, after he moved to Manchester United in a £27m deal this summer.

The defender has made 57 appearances for Chelsea’s first-team, since emerging from their youth ranks after being plucked from Gillingham, but loans have dominated his time there.

He has had spells at Bournemouth, Oldham, Norwich, Reading, Nottingham Forest and, most recently, Aston Villa, where he spent the second half of last season.

He joins midfielder Graziano Pelle and striker Dusan Tadic in signing for Saints this summer.

Daily Echo: