Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands - October 27, 2022. Arsenal's Cedric Soares during the warm up.
Goal journalist Charles Watts has given an update on Fulham’s potential loan move for Cedric Soares.
The Lowdown: Potential hijack
Marco Silva’s side appeared to have Cedric signed a few days ago, as ESPN reported that the Cottagers were ‘expected’ to complete the loan for the right-back.
However, the Premier League club could face the deal being hijacked. The club are looking to sign Shane Duffy on a permanent deal to open up a loan space, but they now face competition from teams in England’s top flight and La Liga according to The Evening Standard’s Simon Collings.
The Lastest: Fulham still the ‘priority’
Watts took to his YouTube channel on Tuesday afternoon to speak on the transfer situation surrounding Cedric, claiming Silva is working hard to get the deal done and that Arsenal still want to do business with him.
He stated: “He’s [Cedric] had a loan deal with Fulham agreed for days now, but the big issue is that Fulham have already the amount of loan players that they’re allowed to have.
“They can’t have another one, so they’re trying to sort that out, they’re trying to turn one of their loan players – think it’s Shane Duffy, they’re trying to turn that move into a permanent one and that’ll free up space to bring in Cedric on loan. That hasn’t happened yet.
“There’s a couple of other clubs sniffing around Cedric Soares before [the] 11pm deadline. I’m told the priority is still getting that deal with Fulham and Marco Silva is still really pushing to get that deal done.”
The Verdict: Benefits both parties
We believe that this is a deal that suits both clubs. Fulham would add to their options in the right-back position and Arsenal would let go a player they no longer need for the time being, with Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu ahead of him in the current pecking order.
It’s likely that Cedric will challenge Kenny Tete for a starting role. The Dutchman has been the go-to man in that area so far this season. Summer signing Kevin Mbabu is also at their disposal, but Silva has rarely opted to feature the 27-year-old.
Adding Cedric to Fulham’s ranks gives them someone who’s very familiar with Premier League football. Aside from a loan spell with Inter, the 31-year-old has been in playing in England’s top flight for close to eight years.
When he first joined the Gunners on loan, ex-Arsenal man Martin Keown labelled the Portuguese ace as ‘a good player’ and a ‘good addition’ to their squad when speaking to TalkSport (via The Daily Express).
Fulham have had a fantastic season so far in the 2022/23 campaign and adding an experienced pro like Cedric will be an easy transition, in our view.
He knows what it takes to perform at the level required and his stint in the Premier League so far shows he’s had some longevity – it is just up to the clubs involved to thrash out a deal.
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