Cedric Soares will complete his loan move to Fulham by the end of this week, football.london understands. The Portuguese international will swap north London for west in a deal that will last six months and contains no obligation or option to buy.
Fulham are set to cover his wages which are estimated to be in the region of £100,000-per-week. Marco Silva was keen to bring in some experience and versatility into his backline and views Cedric as the perfect man for this.
The 31-year-old knows Silva well having worked under him in Portugal at Sporting. The deal will mark Arsenal's first senior exit of the January transfer window.
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Cedric has struggled for game time this season after Ben White's switch to right-back meant that he was relegated to third choice in the pecking order behind Takehiro Tomiyasu. The Portugal international has also been struggling with some minor injuries. However, he remained a popular senior figure around the dressing room and has been given praise for his professionalism despite his lack of minutes.
Arsenal are looking to bring in Real Valladolid right back Ivan Fresneda in as a potential long-term replacement. It is thought that Borussia Dortmund are also keen on signing the 18-year-old though, and any move would likely see Fresneda head back to Valladolid on loan for the remainder of the season as things stand.
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