Fulham’s prospective move for Cedric Soares has stalled due to the Arsenal right-back’s wage demands to join the Cottagers.
According to Evening Standard, Fulham’s move for Cedric Soares has stalled as the Cottagers remain reluctant to pay his required wage demands. Marco Silva is tracking the Arsenal right-back, but financial commitments could see the Portuguese defender remain at the Emirates for the remainder of the season.
Fulham continued their strong season in the Premier League with a narrow win over Leicester City away from home. The result takes them into seventh spot and level on points with Liverpool, who remain ahead on goal difference. Their performances this term have squashed the threat of relegation, with Marco Silva now eyeing a European finish.
Much of the credit goes to Silva and the recruitment team at Fulham for bringing in the right players in the summer transfer window. The manager wants to continue the trend in January and strengthen the squad sufficiently to sustain this form.
Silva wants to bring a few players, and he is keen to strengthen the defence and midfield. Cedric Soares is a name Fulham have tracked over the last few months, with the Cottagers reportedly on the cusp of signing the Arsenal defender as soon as the window opened.
Four days have passed since the transfer window opened, and the pursuit has seemingly gone quiet. The report claims a deal has stalled as Fulham do not want to pay Cedric’s current wage demands. The Arsenal defender currently earns £65,000 per week on a contract that lasts until 2024.
Silva is keen on signing his compatriot but wants Fulham to pay a manageable salary on long-term commitments. They might look to negotiate with the player, while the Cottagers may have to pay a transfer fee for the Arsenal defender. For now, the deal may appear stalled, but it has the potential to revive.
Cedric is reportedly keen to leave Arsenal and join Fulham in January after seeing his role reduce at Arsenal this season. Despite playing a considerable amount of games in the second part of the 2021/22 season, the emergence of Ben White as a right-back has reduced his stature at the club.
Arteta prefers Ben White as his first-choice right-back, with Takehiro Tomiyasu his deputy in the role. Cedric hoped to play a significant role in Arsenal’s Europa League group-stage games but only featured once. Overall, he has played only four times, including one start that came in the EFL Cup defeat to Brighton.
He will be keen to continue playing at the highest level, and at this moment, Fulham could prove the right choice. But the Arsenal defender may have to lower his wage demands to get a deal done, something Silva will hope happens in the coming days.
