Arsenal have just completed the signing of Pablo Mari from Flamengo and now it seems they are set for a piece of deadline day action with a Premier League defender on the way.
Arsenal are now set to sign Cedric Soares from Southampton as they look to add depth to their right back options.
With Calum Chambers now ruled out for the season following a nasty injury, Arsenal only have Hector Bellerin as a natural right back option, with Ainsley Maitland-Niles often deputising there in the past. But Maitland-Niles is clearly not viewed as a long term option for Mikel Arteta at right back and with Hector Bellerin recently returning from a long term injury, the arrival of Cedric will allow for the club to manage Bellerin’s reintegration into the team.
Asked if the arrival of Kyle Walker-Peters from Tottenham meant Soares was now likely to leave, Southampton boss Hasenhuttl said: “From our side, yes. The fact is that he’s out of contract in the summer.”
“Sometimes things change quickly in football.
“Then for the club and for him, it is the best that we say ‘okay, if you want to leave, you have only two or three more months (of) contract, then it’s better to go’ and we are concentrating on developing other players.”
Arsenal have added Mari on an initial 6 month loan deal, but they will have the option to make it permanent in the summer. It could be a similar deal for Cedric, who will be a free agent in the summer, allowing the Gunners to negotiate with him as a first option ahead of the loan deal expiring.
The Gunners are expected to do their major business in the summer, but these two signings will help add defensive depth to Arteta’s options as they look to climb the Premier League table and compete for honours in both the Europa League and the FA Cup.