Surprise U-turn as Arsenal ace not leaving this January despite transfer interest

Arsenal full-back Cedric Soares is reportedly now set to stay at the club despite transfer interest from a number of clubs this January.

That’s according to journalist Chris Wheatley, who has posted details on his official account on X, formerly Twitter, to explain that several Turkish clubs showed an interest in signing Soares this winter.

It seems, however, that the former Southampton man will instead stay at the Emirates Stadium until his contract expires at the end of this current campaign, potentially providing Gunners boss Mikel Arteta with some valuable squad depth in the coming months of what could be a long and gruelling season…

Excl: Cedric Soares will stay at Arsenal until his contract expires this summer. ??

Several Turkish teams showed interest in the January window, but a move didn't come to fruition. pic.twitter.com/VePAPvRon7

— Chris Wheatley (@ChrisWheatley) February 1, 2024

Arsenal will no doubt hope to avoid injuries that mean they end up having to rely on Cedric, but in a worst-case scenario he could still be a useful option for Arteta to be able to call upon, due to his experience and ability to play a number of positions.

Arsenal were leading the title race last season before injuries derailed their campaign, so Arteta will know all too well how important it is to have reliable backup in every department.

Fabrizio Romano had previously told us that the Portuguese defender could be one to watch in terms of departures from Arsenal in this transfer window.