Former Arsenal, Fulham and Southampton defender still on free agent market after Gunners release

The Gunners released former Arsenal and Fulham full-back Cedric Soares in July following a spell of three and a half years at the Emirates. He is one of the most valuable free agents left on the market and could be snapped up on a relatively cheap wage.

The vastly-experienced defender made over 340 appearances in his career scoring seven goals and 30 assists in that time, including 167 appearances in the Premier League during spells at Arsenal, Fulham and Southampton. Despite his experience, the 33-year-old hasn’t been able to find a home for the 2024/25 season yet which comes as a surprise considering that the season is already over two months in.

The Portuguese defender began his career with Sporting CP before moving to England in 2015 when he joined Southampton for a fee of £5.8m. Soares became a mainstay of the Saints’ Premier League XI as he ended up making almost 140 appearances between 2015 and 2020 discounting one season as he went on loan to Inter.

Following his time at St Mary’s Stadium, Soares moved to Arsenal as a free agent in 2020 and became a reliable backup at the right-back position for Mikel Arteta as he spent most of his time sat behind Hector Bellerin and Ben White.

Soares’ added another Premier League club to his career CV in January 2023 when he joined Fulham on a six-month loan, where he made just eight appearances during the back end of last season.

His contract at Arsenal then expired and he was set for release as the Gunners chose not to extend his deal at the Emirates. Soares could still be a solid backup option for a Premier League team lacking in depth, or a solid starting defender in the Championship.

Speaking to Portuguese outlet Record earlier in the month, the 33-year-old claimed he was ready to join a new club. He said: “I'm ready to join any time. I feel good physically. Any time an interesting, competitive project comes along, which I also think is right for me and my family.”