With Saliba injury in doubt: Another Man city £60M highly rated star wants to reunite with Zinchenko and Gabriel at Arsenal – This deal will boost Arsenal champions league hope
Journalist Steve Bates has suggested that Arsenal could be among the clubs interested in signing Joao Cancelo from Manchester City this summer.
The Portugal international, who joined Pep Guardiola’s side for £60 million (BBC) in 2019, was integral to City’s dominance in the Premier League. He played a big part in helping them win two league titles, but things changed this season.
After a sudden drop in game time, Guardiola allowed Cancelo to join Bayern Munich on loan in January. Manchester City could let him go on a permanent deal this summer.
Arsenal could try and sign Manchester City defender Joao Cancelo this summer
Joao Cancelo was one of the best full-backs in the Premier League for Manchester City.
The Portugal international, who was branded as an ‘underrated‘ player by Nigel de Jong, can play at right-back and left-back, and he would be exceptional for most clubs in the world.
Cancelo’s loan spell at Bayern Munich isn’t quite going to plan, and it looks like he will be back in Manchester this summer. City may not keep him either, and that could make him a really attractive option on the market.
Bates has suggested that Arsenal could be among the clubs interested in his services.
The journalist told GiveMeSport: “I’ve seen reports that Bayern Munich may not pursue him at the end of the loan deal. They don’t have an agreement obligating them to sign him, and if he’s not pulling up any trees at the moment, then I can’t see them pushing ahead with that.
“Chelsea and Arsenal have been linked with him and there’s no doubt that if he was to be sold by Manchester City, then a lot of Premier League clubs in the top four or five would definitely be after him, as would many of the top clubs in Europe.
“I think Real Madrid have been looking at him as well.”
Our View:
Cancelo would be a great fit in Mikel Arteta’s system, but do the Gunners even need him?
Arsenal have Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu at right-back, and Oleksandr Zinchenko and Kieran Tierney on the opposite side. That’s more than enough options for Arteta.
However, if Tierney does leave this summer, Arsenal will have to bring in a new left-back, and Cancelo – who knows how to play Arteta’s style of football – would be a very interesting option.
It will be interesting to see what happens with Cancelo at the end of this season, but as things stand, we just can’t see Arsenal signing him.
