Breaking – Arsenal scout now Germany to meet with £40m defender who will give William Saliba tough time at Arsenal
Arsenal have been linked with a Premier League ace ahead of the transfer window as Mikel Arteta aims to strengthen his title-challenging side this summer.
The Spaniard enjoyed a successful season, but after narrowly missing out on the Gunners’ first league title in 19 years, he will aim to bolster his squad to push further next term.
Lack of defensive depth arguably cost Arsenal the title following the double injury blow to Takehiro Tomiyasu and William Saliba. However, an ongoing link could ensure the north Londoners aren’t caught short again.
What’s the latest on Joao Cancelo to Arsenal?
As reported by 90min early last month, Arsenal are interested in Manchester City full-back Joao Cancelo, who is due to return to Manchester after a loan spell at Bayern Munich.
More recently, journalist Dharmesh Sheth revealed via Sky Sports that Arsenal and City are in ‘early verbal talks’ over the defender, who could reportedly be sold for a fee in the region of €40m (£34m).
Sheth added to the update that Arteta’s side are looking to be ‘very ambitious’ in the window
What could Joao Cancelo bring to Arsenal?
Lauded as “world-class” by former Premier League defender Ahmed Elmohamady, the versatile right-back could offer a host of things to Arsenal.
Despite having Ben White dominating in the position currently, it was suggested by Football Insider that the Englishman could return to a more central role next term.
Cancelo could take the Gunners to the next level, just as Oleksandr Zinchenko has since trading Manchester for north London and becoming a firm starter on the left side
As per FBref, the Portuguese ace is one of the top-performing full-backs in Europe, despite having inconsistent game time throughout the past year.
The 29-year-old ranks in the top 1% of wide defenders in the continent in terms of assists, averaging a huge 0.32 per 90, showing his ability to contribute in the final third as well as in defensive areas.
Defensively, the Barreiro-born gem could be a reliable asset to Arsenal, averaging 2.13 tackles per 90, considerably higher than Zinchenko who scores 1.71 in this area via FBref.
There are several reasons as to why the quality of the three-time Premier League winner would be a strong fit for the Gunners, one being his suitability to play alongside Saliba.
Featuring predominantly for Arsenal on the right side of central defence, the Frenchman is a right-footed ball player and could provide a solid outlet when transitioning play through the City ace on his side of the defence.
As per FBref, the 22-year-old averages 3.69 progressive passes and holds a pass completion rate of 91% per 90, showing that he is an accomplished passer of the ball – which could become a deadly combination alongside Cancelo.
The Bayern Munich loanee rates highly in comparison to those in his position in Europe when it comes to receiving progressive passes, averaging 8.6 per 90, which places him in the top 4% in this attribute, via FBref
Arteta could form a defensive quartet of players equally as impressive defensively as they are as a threat going forward, in a system that could take Arsenal to the next level and push on again next term.
