CONFIRMED: Pep Guardiola have now removed £60m Star from Man city squad list today after player have agreed personal terms to join Arteta side Arsenal- Here we go
Pep Guardiola may have dropped the clearest hint yet that Joao Cancelo’s future lies away from Manchester City, thus handing Arsenal a potential transfer boost in the process.
The Cityzens, who began the defence of their Premier League trophy with a 3-0 win over newly-promoted Burnley last Friday night – are back in action this evening (Wednesday) in the UEFA Super Cup as the Champions League holders face Europa League winners Sevilla in Athens.
However, despite having the option to name a 23-man travelling squad, Guardiola has opted to leave Cancelo at home in a decision that is likely to increase speculation surrounding the full-back’s future with just over a fortnight until the summer transfer window closes
As reported by our friends at the Manchester Evening News, the Portugal international is not injured and having also failed to make the matchday squad at Turf Moor, it could be this is a clear sign he’s no longer part of the Spanish tactician’s plans which would mark somewhat of a U-turn given comments made earlier in the summer.
“He is here. Joao has been so important for us in the past,” Guardiola said of Cancelo after reintegrating the 29-year-old into the first-team picture during pre-season after spending six months on loan with Bayern Munich. “He is back here and is part of the group. We will see what happens.”
Of course, despite seemingly leaving the door ajar for the defender, the Man City boss didn’t exactly rule out the prospect of a departure either. And after overseeing a treble success last season without the use of traditional full-backs coupled with the signing of Josko Gvardiol this summer, it seems like the writing is on the wall for Cancelo with regard to his time at the Etihad Stadium.
But is this good news for Arsenal? Well, that remains to be seen as Mikel Arteta did seemingly close the door on more new arrivals at the Emirates Stadium after splashing over £200million to sign Kai Havertz, Jurrien Timber and Declan Rice as well as bringing in David Raya on a season-long loan deal.
“At the moment we’re not planning to do anything,” the Spaniard said in his press conference ahead of the Gunners’ Premier League opener with Nottingham Forest. “But the window is very unpredictable though. Things can happen, probably things that we don’t wish, so at the moment we are happy with what we’ve got.”
Although it’s important to note these comments were made before it was confirmed that the worst fears over Timber’s injury have been realised: “Further to detailed assessments with consultant specialists since Saturday, we can confirm that Jurrien Timber has sustained an injury to his anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee,” a statement on the club’s website reads
“Jurrien will undergo surgery in the coming days and will be out of action for a period of time. The support and expertise from our medical team and everyone at the club will now be focussed on Jurrien’s rehabilitation programme, to ensure he recovers well and is back playing as soon as possible.”
If this injury does force Arteta and technical director Edu Gaspar back into the transfer market in search of a full-back who is comfortable operating on either flank, Cancelo certainly ticks those boxes and it would appear that his future at Man City is looking even bleaker with this Super Cup squad snub.
