In a recent report, Tuttomercatoweb mentioned that Newcastle United are eyeing a move for Arsenal full-back Cedric Soares. It has been mentioned that the Magpies are hoping to land the Portuguese defensive ace this summer.
Soares’ Up And Down Season In English Football
Soares is having a campaign of mixed emotions at the North London club as he has been a solid presence at the back but has struggled to be productive in the final third. The 30-year-old has secured a couple of assists in 21 appearances for the Gunners this season across multiple competitions.
The Singen-born talent has established himself as a decent defender by averaging 1.7 tackles, 0.8 interceptions and 1.5 clearances per game in Premier League football. He has even kept the ball well when distributing possession from the back based on his pass success rate of 82.7% in the English first division (stats via whoscored).
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What Will Soares Add To Newcastle United Boss Eddie Howe’s Team?
Soares is a solid defender at the back as he is usually quick to spot the danger and can time his challenges well to make a few important interceptions inside his half. The Portuguese talent doesn’t shy away from making a clearance when needed and can also engineer some clear-cut chances in the final third when he is playing with confidence on the field. He is primarily a right-back but can even play in an advanced role as a right-sided wide player or fill in as the left-back if required.
However, Soares tends to be a bit inconsistent with his end-product which he needs to rectify if he wants to establish himself as a regular first-team starter in top-flight football.
We can expect the Arsenal defender to add more bite and steel to Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe‘s defence. He would serve as an upgrade over Emil Krafth and Javier Manquillo at St. James’ Park in the coming seasons. Thus, the Magpies should think about moving in for the Portuguese full-back during the summer transfer window as he will definitely help them push for European football over the next few years.
