Arsenal set for talks to potentially sell their ‘fantastic’ defender to La Liga club

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Arsenal defender Cedric Soares is reportedly the subject of interest from La Liga club Villarreal.

The Gunners defender has been struggling for game time and his contract at the Emirates Stadium expires in the summer.

Now, ESPN has reported that Villarreal have been eyeing Cedric since the summer and are expected to open talks with Arsenal over his services.

The Portugal international has been at Arsenal since 2020, when he joined the Gunners from Southampton on an January initial loan deal before signing on a free transfer in summer.

Cedric has made 61 senior appearances for Arsenal to date, but this season, he has featured just twice for the Gunners first-team.

The 32-year-old has fallen out of favour at Emirates Stadium with Ben White, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Oleksandr Zinchenko preferred in the full-back spots.

Arsenal are apparently willing to listen to offers, although it unclear at this stage whether they would agree to a loan to cover the final six months of his wages or push for a permanent move.

According to ESPN, sources have said there is also interest in Cedric from unnamed clubs in Turkey.

Cedric Soares all-but guaranteed to leave Arsenal in 2024

Cedric has been a ‘fantastic‘ servant for Arsenal and Gunners boss Mikel Arteta has praised his attitude and work-rate.

However, the Arsenal he joined is different from the Arsenal of today.

The Gunners have elevated themselves from a mid-table side into title contenders in the time the £75,000-a-week (Spotrac) man has been on the books.

With competition so fierce, the stakes so high, and his contract expiring soon, Cedric is pretty much guaranteed to leave the Emirates Stadium in 2024.

Whether this will be in January or the summer remains to be seen. However, it would be a shame to see him miss out on five more months’ worth of regular football.