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Arsenal 'offer £5m for Southampton full-back Cedric Soares'

  /  autty

Arsenal have firmed up their interest in Cedric Soares with a late move for the Southampton defender.

Southampton are weighing up an Arsenal offer of £5m plus add-ons for their versatile Portuguese defender, who has just six months left on his St Mary's contract.

Arsenal were keen to strengthen in the full-back area and had held talks with Paris Saint-Germain this month about a move for left-back Layvin Kurzawa.

Euro 2016 World Cup winner Soares is primarily a right-back but also capable of playing as a left-back.

He would give Mikel Arteta a more natural defensive option for the full-back role if he arrives at the Emirates from Southampton, who will sign right-back Kyle Walker-Peters on loan on Wednesday.

Arteta has had to deploy midfielders Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Bukayo Saka as makeshift full-backs during his reign due to injuries to Hector Bellerin, Kieran Tierney and Sead Kolasinac.