Forgotten Arsenal star set to stay at club after Turkish giants sign Nottingham Foret defender

Arsenal midfielder Cedric Soares will stay at the club until his contract expires this summer after a move to Turkey collapsed, LondonWorld understands.

The 32-year-old had been linked with a move to Turkish giants Galatasaray, among other clubs including Besiktas, with a two-and-a-half-year contract offered to the former Southampton man. It was expected that a new club would pay a transfer fee but that it would be 'nominal', given that Cedric can leave for free this summer.

The Portugal star, who made a loan move to the Gunners permanent in January 2020 upon the expiry of his contract at St Mary's Stadium, is believed to be on a £70,000 a-week contract at the Emirates Stadium but is a fringe player.

Cedric has made just two appearances for Arsenal this season, a start against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League and a cameo off the bench against Brentford in the Carabao Cup. The midfielder also played for the Arsenal under-21 side in the EFL Trophy against Exeter City in October.

A move to Galatasaray would have seen Cedric reunited with former Arsenal teammate Lucas Torreira. There are also familiar faces in ex-Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha, as well as Chelsea man Hakim Ziyech and Spurs' Tanguay Ndombele - the latter two in Turkey on loan deals from their Premier League clubs.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has been outspoken about how the window would be quiet for the club but refused to rule out activity this week. He said: "We have certain targets, ideas if things happen. As well, we don’t know how the squad is going to look in two weeks’ time and you have to be always prepared for that.

"But it is a very, very tricky market that shifts very quickly and it is quite unpredictable as well – and you have to be prepared. We will be prepared and we will try to make the right calls. If there is something that we can [do to] improve the squad and that needs appear, and we cannot fulfil it with players here, we are always going to be open to do that because we want to be stronger."