Arsenal defender Cedric Soares could be set to snub a move to Fulham as the two parties struggle to come to an agreement on wages, according to reports.
Cedric, who was left out of Portugal’s World Cup squad, was Mikel Arteta’s second signing when he took charge of the club, following Pablo Mari to the Emirates Stadium in the 2020 January transfer window.
But, he has never really nailed down a spot in the Gunners’ first team, making 59 appearances across three seasons for the north London outfit, and has rarely been seen in the last 18 months.
The 31-year-old has seen just 119 minutes of first-team action so far this campaign across four outings, with just 27 of those minutes coming in the Premier League.
Ben White, shifted out from his more conventional central defensive role, has made the right-back spot in Mikel Arteta’s side his own, while Takehiro Tomiyasu was effectively his deputy for the first part of the season as he battled back from injury.
It meant that Cedric seemed set to depart, and a reunion with former Arsenal duo Bernd Leno and Willian at Craven Cottage was thought to be close to completion for January, though whether on a loan or permanent basis was unclear.
However, a move away this January could still happen, with Villareal and Bayer Leverkusen both also thought to be keen on recruiting the 31-year-old. Ideally, the Gunners are thought to want an obligation to buy written into any loan deal that they sanction, but have shown before that they are flexible when it comes to refreshing their squad.
