Cedric Soares is surplus to requirements at Arsenal, and may be on the move this summer.
According to Spanish publication Sport, Villarreal are interested in signing Arsenal full-back Cedric Soares this summer, and a formal bid is expected from the La Liga side soon. However, Villarreal may face plenty of competition for Cedric’s signature, as the report states that a number of Premier League clubs, as well as Benfica, Porto, and Sporting, have also expressed an interest in the defender.
The 31-year-old spent the second half of last season on loan at Fulham. However, Cedric struggled for regular game time at Craven Cottage. It was a disaster of a loan move for the right-back. As he approaches the final years of his career, he will surely want to be on the pitch as much as possible. He won’t get that at Arsenal. With the recent arrival of Jurrien Timber, Cedric will have now slipped even further down the pecking order in north London.
A move this summer is the best outcome for all involved. Cedric should get the opportunity to play regularly with Villarreal, and the Gunners will hope to get a fair fee for the 34-cap Portugal international who is clearly not in Mikel Arteta’s plans.
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Lessons learned from Cedric deal
When Cedric does depart, his time at Arsenal will be looked back on with plenty of confusion. Having originally arrived at the Emirates Stadium on loan from Southampton, he made 5 appearances for the Gunners before his contract with the Saints expired. Arsenal then signed Cedric on a free transfer, offering him a four-year contract that he had done little to suggest he deserved.
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Cedric has since made 59 appearances for the club in all competitions, but managed just 2 Premier League outings last time out. He has never seriously threatened to make himself first choice under Arteta, and at times has been something of a liability at the back.
Arsenal’s transfer policy these days has changed, and the club now look to bring in younger talents. Arteta seems to have learned from his mistakes in signing the likes of Cedric.