Arsenal have confirmed on their official website that Cedric Soares will join the club on a loan deal from Southampton until the end of this current campaign. In a recent interview (via arsenal.com), the Gunners technical director Edu said, “Cedric is a defender with good experience of the Premier League, and of course at international level. He is another strong addition to our defensive unit, who will provide our squad with quality. I know he is a player who plays with absolute full commitment and energy. We are all looking forward to going into the last stages of the season with Cedric as part of the club.”
Cedric Soares’ Lacklustre Season At Southampton So Far
Soares has been a sporadic feature for the Saints this season. To his credit, he has still managed to put in a few memorable displays for the South-coast club under Ralph Hasenhüttl’s expert stewardship.
The Portuguese full-back has featured in 19 matches for Southampton this term, scoring one goal while providing one assist in all competitions. He has averaged 2.8 tackles, 1.2 interceptions and 2.8 clearances per game in the Premier League (stats via whoscored).
The Singen-born talent has represented the Portuguese national side at various youth levels and has also gone on to earn 33 senior caps for his nation, scoring one goal in the process.
What Are The Southampton Right-Back’s Strengths And Weaknesses?
Soares has decent pace and is a good dribbler with the ball out on the wide areas. He works his socks off for the benefit of his side and is also a good tackler which allows him to make some crucial interceptions for his team. The Portuguese talent is a well-balanced full-back but needs to improve his productivity in the final third if he wants to be a success story at the very top of English football.
How Will Soares Fit In At Arsenal?
Hector Bellerin has struggled consistently with injuries this season. Also, with Calum Chambers out for the season with injury (whose best position is probably not right-back at the moment), Ainsley Maitland-Niles had to fill in consistently. A midfielder by trade, Maitland-Niles does not particularly enjoy playing in defence, and it shows in his game. The North London club failed to find consistency in terms of their performances from the right-back position, and so it’s high time that Mikel Arteta brought in a new defender this month.
Hence, Soares will be an excellent fit for Arsenal as he will increase competition for places within Arteta’s squad and will also give the Arsenal boss more options in defence for the remainder of this campaign.
