£75K-a-week star is wanted by Mikel Arteta – Arsenal fans are told

Mikel Arteta wants to keep hold of Cedric Soares during the January transfer window – Arsenal fans have been told

Cedric has been at the Emirates for a few seasons now and is a player that many fans dont remember is still with the club.

He has fallen well down the pecking order with Arsenal and is not a firm favourite of Mikel Arteta – who prefers Takehiro Tomiyasu and Ben White – and he has even been playing in the reserves to try and get some match fitness.

However, according to Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge – Arteta will not be open to offloading the 31-year-old unless he can bring in an alternative option.

Bridge told GIVEMESPORT: “My information is that Arteta feels they might be a little bit light, so they might stop one of the fringe players going.

“For example, there’s a lot of interest in Cedric and my understanding is he wants to move on, but Arsenal won’t allow that unless they bring someone else in.

“I think, at Arsenal, maybe we’ll see one or two coming in and one or two going out in January.

“But I think it would be quality coming in and surplus going out. I don’t think Arsenal have to worry too much yet about any big names leaving.”

Cedric is one of those players that will only get game time when he is 100 per cent needed – and he is not 100 per cent needed.

So when the coming transfer windows come along – we are sure that he will look for a way out – he cant stay put and watch his career pass him by – especially at this stage of his career.

And to be honest – it would be wrong of Mikel Arteta to keep hold of him.