Cedric Soares expected to stay at Arsenal after unsuccessful push for January exit | OneFootball

Arsenal defender Cedric Soares is set to stay in north London until the end of the season.

The 32-year-old right-back will focus his efforts on helping Mikel Arteta’s side in his fringe role, as they push to beat Manchester City and Liverpool to the title.

Cedric, capped 34 times by Portugal, had sought a move away from the Emirates in January, having made just two appearances this season and playing only 65 senior minutes.

However, no move materialised and Cedric will now look to leave at the end of the season, when his £65,000-a-week contract expires.

Turkish giants Galatasaray entered negotiations to sign Cedric for a nominal fee but opted instead to sign former Nottingham Forest right-back Serge Aurier, who also previously played for Tottenham, on a short-term deal.

Cedric had no further offers, though Besiktas, Trabzonspor and Villarreal were all monitoring his situation. Benfica were also interested in signing Cedric last summer and may return when his contract expires on 30 June.

The Turkish transfer window remains open until Friday, but a move isn’t likely.

Cedric is unlikely to play an important role in his final months at Arsenal. Still, with injury concerns around Oleksandr Zinchenko, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Jurrien Timber, he offers emergency cover for the Gunners, who are currently third in the Premier League table.