Villarreal are eyeing a move for Arsenal’s Cédric Soares according to a report with his contract due to expire in the summer.

Villarreal are interested in Arsenal‘s defender Cédric Soares, according to ESPN sources.

The club has been following Cédric since the summer and are expected to start talks for a possible move in January.

The 32-year-old defender has not been a regular choice at Emirates Stadium for some time. Ben White, Takehiro Tomiyasu, and Oleksandr Zinchenko have been the preferred full-backs, which has limited Cédric to just one start this season and just four last.

With his contract set to expire in the summer, Arsenal are open to listening to offers for Cédric while he can start talks with any foreign club about a free transfer.

It’s not clear yet whether Arsenal would prefer a loan to cover the last six months of his wages or a permanent transfer, but getting him off their wage books is the main objective.

There is also reported interest in Cédric from clubs in Turkey.

Cédric moved to Arsenal from Southampton in July 2020 on a free transfer after a loan spell that cost Arsenal €8m, €4m of which they recouped when they sent him on loan to Fulham last season.

His contract with Arsenal is due to expire on June 30, 2024.

In terms of his minutes this season, Cédric has appeared in one Champions League match for 62 minutes and one EFL Cup game for 3 minutes, totalling 65 minutes.

Cédric’s current weekly salary at Arsenal is £75,000, amounting to an annual salary of £3.9m.

Whether Villarreal are still interested in Cédric after sacking their manager, Diego Alonso this weekend after just nine weeks in charge, remains to be seen.