It’s been confirmed that Cedric Soares will spend the second half of the campaign on loan with Fulham.
The Portugal international, 31, moves to Craven Cottage after a frustrating six months at Arsenal where he’s barely been used by Mikel Arteta. While a permanent deal couldn’t be agreed upon, the Gunners will be satisfied that the player’s £100,000 a week wages are off the books until the summer.
Cedric has 18 months left on his contract so there will be another chance to recoup a fee at the end of the season.
It’s fair to say that eyebrows were raised when the Gunners moved for the right-back this time three years ago, given he was out of favour at Southampton and injured at the time.
That he was represented by Kia Joorabchian didn’t win him any friends on the terraces but he knuckled down and has probably played more football than most expected.
Despite competition from Hector Bellerin, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Takehiro Tomiyasu, he still made 59 appearances and has five assists and two goals to his name. Having dreamed of playing for Arsenal, there’s much to cherish there.
As Arteta’s project has evolved it became obvious that Cedric was on borrowed time. The final nail in the coffin was William Saliba’s return from Marseille which meant Ben White became an option at right-back. Pushed further down the pecking order he’s played only 119 minutes this season.
After placing fellow clients Willian and Layvin Kurzawa at Fulham, there was something inevitable about Joorabchian moving Cedric there too.
It wasn’t easy for the Cottagers; they already had two players on loan and had to make one of them, Shane Duffy, permanent to make room for Cedric.
Sorry, how much?!
2.1m-ish in wages saved, that’s not nothing.
Thank-you Fulham
A move for Cedric was inevitable. With Jesus out injured, his crosses were wasted.
Let’s hope he does well, and earns a permanent move there in the summer, he deserves it.
And on a side note I’d advise Fulham to stay away from Kia, that man is a world-class parasite.
Agreed, people can say what they like, rightly, about Kia, but Cedric always gave 100%. Had he not had the agent connections and the move itself made so little fiscal sense to pay a fee for an injured player with 6 months left on his contract, I reckon we’d have respected him a lot more as a player. I’d make that same point to skeptical fans about Jorginho. If we separate historical angst linked to transfer dealings with the man himself, he’ll have a much greater chance of success.
Hopefully Arsenal will never sign players represented by this agent again. It’s been an hugely expensive and thoroughly underwhelming experience.
Just had a glance at his clients on the list. Had already forgotten he got Omari Hutchinson on his books before he took him to Boelly’s balls.
Surprised to see Auston Trusty on the list too though. He will probably be off in the summer anyway, then I think we will be rid of him, for now.
Poor Omari, career ruined at the whims of a super-agent. Imagine if he’d stayed, he’d be looking at a squad place in a potentially title winning team. Hopefully it’s a warning to others.
Hope he does well enough there so we’ll be able to sell him in the summer.
Coincidentally, Cedric is the same age as our “new boy” from Chelsea. If we do manage to sell him, I wonder if we’ll get anywhere near the £12 million we paid for Jorginho? Cedric will still have a year left on his contract by the summer whereas Jorginho’s contract would have expired at Chelsea. Fingers crossed.
Let’s be realistic here, Cedric has never been worth £12 million and Chelsea bought Jorginho for £50 million.
Though, in fairness, Soares was a starter on a Euro-winning side, just like Jorginho.
Doesn’t really work as a comparison though does it? I’m not even going to bother comparing the careers of Soares and Jorginho as it should be obvious why one is worth more than the other.
If we get even 5m for him it would be a good deal.
He only cost us 5 mil, people forget that…
Good luck to him this season. It would be so funny if he could put one on Mitrovich’s head for a last-minute winner this weekend at Stamford Bridge.
That would be wonderful. I can only imagine the meltdown from ‘Tard Blubbery as he bollocks his minions for not spotting this transfer so he could outbid Fulham A.
Have a good loan, Cedders. Your banger in the last game of the season against Everton was quite something.
A collectors item, to be sure.
Actually a decent player but the quality of the squad clearly left him well behind. Never really deserved the level of criticism he got as he was a decent squad player and always professional. Arseblog’s continuous criticism of him was always a bit of a weird one for me.
100% agree. Underrated imo.
Yeah.
Those endless crosses into Row Z.
World class.
Who said he was world class then? Oh, absolutely nobody.
Thanks Cedric – your cross field pass from left back to Saka against Southampton wil never be forgotten.
Leaves us a bit short at RB…? I was full sure this was the window we would sign Hatem Trabelsi 😉
Good riddance. 😊
I know your ‘thing’ is being all acerbic on the internet, but why would you have that reaction? He doesn’t even play anymore. He may not have been a great player, but he was leagues ahead some of the dross we’ve had as squad players over the last decade and more. He seems like a decent sort and a solid professional. What has he done, other than being paid too much and being fairly average, to attract a ‘good riddance’ from you?
Cedric was a major reason we failed to qualify for top four last season.
We have different opinions, let’s leave it at that.
To be honest, I’m getting just a tad sick and tired of having to elaborate on everything I post on this fucking site.
If you agree with me, fine, if you don’t I couldn’t give a shit. I don’t have to explain myself to you or anyone else on here.
Bloody hell, what the fuck is that reply?! Sorry I hurt your feelings. You seem like a complete pillock. I’ll ignore you from now on so you don’t have to have discussions on a forum for discussing arsenal.
To you? Yes please.
Heh.
Well, if it isn’t the bloke who thought Gabriel Jesus would be a failure.
How’s that train of thought coming along, Einstein?
Coming from the leader of the now legendary one man “hate Arteta” campaign that’s a bit rich “Einstein”…although seems it’s edu these days that’s caught your attention…lol…
I could have sworn when Cedric signed, it was widely reported that he was on 70,000 a week.
Now it’s 100 grand.
I guess he’s one of the happy few whose wages have kept up with inflation.
No wonder players like Kia.
Say what you like about Kia – he knows how to do well for his players.