Club expected to make ‘firm offer’ to sign Arsenal player after initiating contact – Interest from PL is also there

Villarreal have identified Arsenal’s Cédric Soares as a target this summer, according to Sport.

The right-back returned to the north London club after spending the second half of last season on loan at Fulham, where he made eight appearances.

Villarreal are looking to strengthen their defence in this window and have included the Arsenal player’s name in their target list. They had previously shown interest in the 31-year-old and he’s now back on their agenda.

It’s said the La Liga side have already held informal talks with the Portuguese defender’s agent and are expected to make a ‘firm offer’ to Mikel Arteta’s side in the near future. The Yellow Submarine aren’t the only club looking at the former Southampton man.

Sport state the fullback has received interest from other Premier League sides, who have asked about the player. The names of those English clubs are not shared in the report. In addition to this, Benfica, FC Porto and Sporting have also made contact to sign him.

Cédric’s deal expires in 2024. The ongoing window would be Arsenal’s last chance to cash in from his sale and avoid losing him for free a year later.