EPL giants Arsenal close in on surprise permanent deal for Southampton defender

According to ESPN, EPL club Arsenal are expected to agree a permanent deal for Cedric Soares in the coming days. The Gunners have reportedly offered him a three-year contract but any deal for the Portuguese international will depend on Southampton.

Soares' deal with the Saints expires at the end of this month and his parent club will have to extend his contract first before Arsenal can make the deal permanent. While the situation is a complicated one as things stand, the EPL giants are confident they can get the deal over the line in the coming days.

The 28-year-old has not featured in the EPL since joining the Gunners in the January transfer window due to a combination of injuries and the three-month hiatus due to the COVID-19 outbreak. However, Mikel Arteta is reportedly pleased with Soares' dressing room influence and is eager to get him on board permanently.

Soares' EPL journey at Southampton

Cedric was a reliable member at the back for Southampton

Since making a move to the EPL in 2015, Soares impressed for Southampton at the back and was one of the most reliable defenders for the Saints during his stint with the St Mary's outfit.

The defender was also an important figure of the Portugal squad that won Euro 2016 and also started the final against France that year. Soares enjoyed a loan spell with Inter Milan last year and returned to the EPL after the Italian giants opted against signing him permanently.

Arsenal are currently sweating over the fitness of the 28-year-old, who suffered a facial injury in the build-up to the EPL restart. Soares, however, is desperate to join the Gunners permanently and it remains to be seen if they get a deal done with Southampton.

Exclusive: Arsenal expected to extend Cedric’s loan - and want to sign him on a permanent basis this summer. Arteta and player want deal to happen. Slight issue in that he needs to technically extend Saints contract to continue loan. Story: https://t.co/5DSVGBm83d

— James Olley (@JamesOlley) June 23, 2020

Additionally, the North London are also close to agreeing a permanent deal with Flamengo for the transfer of Pablo Mari. Much like Soares, Mari joined Arsenal in the January transfer window on a loan deal with an option of making the deal permanent.

The Spaniard picked up a long-term injury against Manchester City last week and is expected to be missing for a substantial period. However, the EPL giants are keen to sign him permanently and should conclude a deal between now and the end of the season.

Arsenal are preparing for a quiet summer as their finances have reportedly taken a massive hit due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While the likes of Thomas Partey and Dayot Upamecano continue to be linked with a move to the EPL giants, it remains unlikely that the Gunners will spend big money on the pair.

🆕 The Breakdown@AdrianJClarke has the final say on #BHAARS 👇

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) June 22, 2020

Having lost both their EPL games since the restart, Arteta's side will look to return to winning when they face Southampton later this week. The Gunners' faltering EPL season got worse against Brighton in their previous league encounter, as they suffered an embarrassing 2-1 defeat at the Amex Stadium.

The EPL giants are running out of time to save their league season and are in desperate need of victories to stand any chance of qualifying for Europe next season.

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