Arsenal Sign Cedric Soares on Loan from Southampton Until End of 2019-20

Arsenal completed the loan signing of Cedric Soares from Southampton on Friday.

In a statement, the Gunners announced that the full-back had moved to the Emirates Stadium until the end of the 2019-20 campaign. 

The 28-year-old said:

"It has been a while, to be fair. We were close a few years ago, so it's not the first time. It didn't happen that time but now thank God it came true. I'm super happy.
 
"Obviously it was important for me in my career to come here. Southampton gave me the opportunity to play in the Premier League, but obviously it's amazing this step, to come here and play for Arsenal. To be able to reach this point is unbelievable."

Cedric moved to the Premier League in 2016 when he joined Saints for around £5 million.

The Portugal international has since established himself as a consistently solid performer, and he has played a key role for Saints in 2019-20 as they have bounced back from their 9-0 drubbing by Leicester to move into the top half of the Premier League table.

Cedric can play on both flanks, but his most natural position is as a right-back. 

As such, he will have a big role to play at Arsenal providing competition and cover for Hector Bellerin.

The Spaniard has spent much of the last year sidelined through injury, and in his absence Ainsley Maitland-Niles has taken up most of the slack.

Maitland-Niles is much more comfortable playing further forward, though, and manager Mikel Arteta will likely be delighted to now have proper full-back cover in the shape of Cedric.