Newcastle plotting move for £4.2m "under the radar" gem, he'd be brilliant for Howe - opinion

An update has emerged regarding Newcastle United’s pursuit of Arsenal full-back Cedric Soares…

According to TuttoMercatoWeb, the Magpies are one of the clubs plotting a deal to snap up the Portuguese defender this summer.

The report claims that Porto are also in the running to land his signature and have submitted a bid of €5m (£4.2m) as they look to tempt the Gunners into cashing in on the 30-year-old.

A move to St James’ Park has not been completely ruled out but the player is said to prefer a stay at the Emirates Stadium over a transfer away from the north London club.

The Telegraph’s Sam Dean dubbed Cedric’s crossing “brilliant” earlier this season, and that perfectly describes what he would be for the Magpies next season as he is an experienced and versatile gem of a player. 

Cedric has been playing in England since 2015, for Southampton and Arsenal, and he knows what it takes to perform at this level. He has racked up 151 Premier League appearances to date, scoring twice and setting up 12 top-flight goals from full-back.

In that time, he has played in a number of positions – left-back, right-back, right midfield and left midfield. This shows that he is capable of adapting to a multitude of roles for Howe in the Newcastle team, which would make him a valuable asset to have when dealing with injuries and suspensions throughout a campaign.

The 30-year-old has been a solid option for Mikel Arteta to call upon this term. Last month, Alan Hutton heaped praise on the defender’s role with the Gunners as he said: “[Cedric Soares] has done really well, but he’s gone under the radar because of Tomiyasu.

“When you are going for the European spots and trying to challenge, you need competition for places. He knows the style of