Could Ryan Bertrand push Cedric near Arsenal exit?

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Arsenal have been put on alert with Southampton announcing earlier this week that Ryan Bertrand will indeed leave the club in the summer with his contract set to expire.

Bertrand looks set to have several options to pick from over the coming months. According to Goal, the Gunners are battling AC Milan and Monaco for the 31-year-old.

It is little surprise to see Mikel Arteta target a new left-back. When fit, Kieran Tierney is one of the first names on the team sheet. However, he has had some problems with injury since arriving in North London.

In his absence, Arteta has turned to a number of players. Granit Xhaka and Bukayo Saka have both been deployed there lately.

So bringing Bertrand – who earns £70,000-a-week, according to Spotrac – in on a free transfer looks to make a lot of sense. However, such a move may be an ominous sign for one of Bertrand’s former teammates.

If he does join, the Champions League winner would not be the first full-back to trade the Saints for Arsenal during Arteta’s tenure.

Cedric Soares has had an interesting time since moving to the Emirates. He has had to deal with a couple of injuries. And he has been an unused substitute in Arsenal’s last six Premier League games.

He is naturally a right-back. But with Calum Chambers impressing in recent times, it does appear that he is now higher up on the pecking order on the left-hand side.

However, there have been times when he has struggled on the left. So if Bertrand does indeed arrive, it is difficult to see Cedric getting many opportunities anytime soon.

If Bertrand does join, Cedric may well want assurances over what his future holds.