Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has told the club’s official website that he had to let Cedric Soares leave for Fulham in the January transfer window.
Arteta has said that Cedric wanted to play, and that was not possible at Arsenal.
After all, the Gunners have a well-settled backline who are doing extremely well at the moment.
Arsenal are at the top of the Premier League table now and could go on to win the title this season.
So, there was/is no need for the Gunners to tinker with the defence.
Arteta has said that as he could not give the £65,000-a-week (The Sun) full-back playing time at Arsenal, he simply had to sanction Cedric’s loan move to Premier League rivals Fulham on the final day of the January transfer window.
The Arsenal boss has also said he had to send Marquinhos out on loan for playing time.
Marquinhos joined Championship club Norwich City on loan in the January transfer window.
The 19-year-old Brazilian, who can play as a winger or as a forward, will stay on loan at the Championship club for the rest of the season.
Arsenal boss Arteta has said that Marquinhos will find it tough in the second tier of English football, but thinks that spending a few months in the Championship will help him.
Mikel Arteta on Cedric Soares and Marquinhos leaving Arsenal on loan
Arteta said: “With Marquinhos he needed minutes and it is going to be a really tough but really good test for him to play in that league with a great club, and with Cedric he was demanding minutes and it was difficult to promise that to him.
“He is a player we all love and it has been a difficult decision to let him go, but we have to respect his will to play.”
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