Cedric Soares is yet to kick a ball for Arsenal (except in training), we signed the Portugal star to be a backup to our struggling defenders and I wonder if we will ever see him play for Arsenal.
His contract at Southampton expires at the end of June, effectively making him a free agent.
Because he isn’t playing for the Saints, they are unlikely to offer him an extension to finish the season with them.
Would Arsenal do the same or will they offer him an extension in order to finish the season with them?
The hope was that Soares would finish the season as an important member of our team and play well enough to earn a permanent deal.
When football resumes, most Arsenal players will be fit and Mikel Arteta may no longer need him, not when he has a full complement of fit defenders.
That said. his presence in the squad would signal to the likes of Hector Bellerin that the competition for places is now serious.
We don’t have serious competition for Bellerin at right-back and Soares could be our best chance to have another proper right full-back.
Should we sign the Portugal star just because we need squad depth? I think that would be fair particularly because we have already considered him good enough to play for the club.
It is one of many tricky decisions that Arteta is going to have to make a decision on.
