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Fulham FC announce the signing of Cédric Soares on loan from Arsenal.
Right-back Soares, who worked with Marco Silva previously at Sporting Clube de Portugal, will remain at Craven Cottage for the remainder of the 2022/23 campaign.
With only two domestic loans permitted per season, Shane Duffy’s deal has now been made permanent – with the assistance of Brighton & Hove Albion – to facilitate this transfer, with Duffy helpfully signing a short-term contract until the summer.
Cédric said, “I feel great. I wanted this deal to happen, so we all pushed in the same direction, and I’m really happy and pleased to be here.”
“Me and my family are really, really happy for this move. It’s a great move and I can’t wait to start.”
Tony Khan added, “I’m excited to welcome Cédric Soares to Fulham on loan for the remainder of the season.”
“Cedric has great experience against top competition, in international matches and in the Premier League. I’m pleased that we were able to reach an agreement with Arsenal to bring him to Fulham, and I’m excited for Cédric to flourish under the great coaching of Marco Silva!”
“We’re very happy with the work that we’ve done in this window, and look forward to the rest of the season ahead!”
Born in Germany but raised in Portugal, Cédric joined Sporting’s youth setup at a young age, progressing through the ranks to make his senior debut in the UEFA Europa League as a 19-year-old.
He first tasted regular senior football in the 2011/12 campaign when he went on loan to Académica, playing 29 times as they avoided relegation from the Primeira Liga and beat his parent club Sporting in the Taça de Portugal Final.
Thereafter, Cédric became a mainstay in the Sporting side, securing two UEFA Champions League qualifications in the next three years, with his final season at the club spent playing under Silva’s tutelage when he again won the Taça de Portugal.
A move to England transpired in the summer of 2015 when Southampton FC came calling. In five seasons at St Mary’s, Cédric made 128 appearances, scoring three times and assisting 11.
Saints reached the Carabao Cup Final in 2017, losing 2-3 to a late Manchester United goal at Wembley, with Cédric playing every minute of that game, and the two-legged victory over Liverpool FC in the Semifinals.
His time at Southampton FC also featured two loan spells, with Cédric setting up two goals in four Serie A appearances while at Inter Milan – playing in nine matches across all competitions – before heading to Arsenal for the second half of the 2019/20 campaign.
Cédric did not appear for the Gunners during that spell, but he had impressed them enough to make the move permanent. He made his debut for the club shortly after that, marking it with a goal in a 4-0 win over Norwich City.
Going into the 2020/21 season, Cédric scored one of Arsenal FC’s spot-kicks as they defeated Liverpool FC on penalties in the Community Shield, and he showed his versatility that year when asked to fill in at left-back for a run of matches.
During his time at Emirates Stadium, Cédric has racked up 59 appearances.
A 34-cap Portugal international, Cédric was an integral member of the squad that won the 2016 UEFA European Championship, playing every minute of their knockout stage.
