Barcelona might have fallen behind Arsenal in the race to sign Joao Cancelo from Manchester City this summer.
According to a report by Spanish outlet SPORT, Joao Cancelo is closer to joining Arsenal than Barcelona in the summer transfer window. The Gunners are already in talks to sign the Manchester City full-back. Meanwhile, Bayern Munich will not exercise the option to sign him permanently for €70 million.
Joao Cancelo has been one of the best full-backs in the world in the last few seasons. But he finds himself at a crossroads in his career, with his next destination unknown. Bayern Munich signed him on loan in the January transfer window but will not exercise the option to permanently sign him for €70 million.
Meanwhile, Manchester City will look to cash in on him in the summer transfer window. So the Portuguese international has likely played his 154th and final game for the Premier League club. And Cancelo’s situation has captured the attention of a few high-profile clubs, including Barcelona and Arsenal.
The right-back slot has been the Achilles Heel for Barcelona for several years. And amid the never-ending search for Dani Alves’s heir, they are keen on signing a right-back this year. Cancelo’s name has thus emerged as the top target for Barcelona heading into the summer transfer window.
But Barcelona will have an uphill task to secure Cancelo’s services this summer. Firstly, they cannot afford to pay €70 million, or even slightly less than that sum, to sign the Portuguese international. Meanwhile, Manchester City and Arsenal are in talks over a possible summer deal for the player.
The report claims that the Gunners are in the pole position to sign the 29-year-old. And with Mikel Arteta keen on adding an attack-minded right-back to his squad, Cancelo is a viable target. In addition, he can also be an option for the left-back berth amid uncertainties surrounding Kieran Tierney.
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Meanwhile, the report claims that Barcelona might not sign a right-back at all this summer. So Arsenal can have a clear run at the Manchester City full-back. And it will be interesting to see if the Gunners seal the deal to secure Cancelo’s services.
