Goal's Arsenal correspondent, Charles Watts, has claimed that the Gunners feel that they are no longer in need of Cedric Soares.
The Lowdown: Cedric makes loan move
Mikel Arteta's side announced late on Tuesday that they had agreed to loan Cedric to fellow Premier League club Fulham.
The Portuguese full-back was barely used by the Gunners this season and only featured four times in the league.
Back in 2020, Arsenal signed him on a permanent transfer following a loan stint in north London from Southampton.
The Latest: Watts gives Cedric verdict
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Watts claimed that the club no longer need him and they have sufficient cover in his position.
He stated "Arsenal just don't really feel like they need Cedric Soares and he has gone out on loan. I don't think that that weakens the squad too drastically; like I said, Arsenal have cover at right-back, so I don't think it really makes too much of an issue with Cedric going.
"Fulham are paying his wages, which are pretty high, for the remainder of the season, so Arsenal save on that money.
"And then I'm sure, probably in the summer, this will be the summer that Cedric does move on permanently. Whether it be [to] Fulham, we'll have to wait and see.
"If he plays well, then I don't see why not - especially if they stay up, which it looks like they are certain to do after what has been a very good start to the season for them in west London."
The Verdict: Good for all parties
We believe that Fulham get an experienced player in Cedric Soares and Arsenal are able to loan a player they no longer need, so this deal works for all concerned.
Should the player succeed at Craven Cottage, Marco Silva's side could well move for him in the summer transfer window.
Sky Sports pundit Kevin Campbell raved about Cedric's performance for the Gunners against Newcastle United back in January 2021.
He labelled the right-back's balls into the box as 'dangerous' and stated that he 'defended well and attacked well' when speaking to Football Insider.
However, Cedric in our view is not someone who will be in Arsenal's long-term plans due to his age. The Gunners also have Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu who play in that position, so a loan move is the right step towards eventually getting him off their wage bill.