Arsenal have reportedly joined Barcelona in the race to sign Manchester City outcast Joao Cancelo after losing summer signing Jurrien Timber to an ACL injury.
Arsenal have reportedly entered the market for a replacement after the injury to Jurrien Timber and have now reportedly opened talks with Manchester City outcast and Barcelona target Joao Cancelo, according to 90min.
The Gunners thought they had solved one defensive problem with the capture of versatile defender Jurrien Timber from Ajax in a £38 million deal.
However, the Dutchman picked up a nasty knee injury on his Premier League debut against Nottingham Forest on the opening day. The club later confirmed that the defender had sustained damage to his ACL, which will rule him out for a lengthy period, likely the entire season, after undergoing scans.
With Oleksandr Zinchenko still out of action having not featured for the club since May, the Gunners have decided to dip into the transfer market to solve this issue before the window slams shut at the end of the month.
And it appears they could turn to Manchester City once again after pinching Gabriel Jesus and Zinchenko last year by providing a lifeline to fringe star Joao Cancelo. The north Londoners have been credited with an interest in the Portugal international earlier this summer, but the interest cooled down after they snapped up Timber instead.
The 29-year-old was a key star for Pep Guardiola until a breakdown in his relationship with the manager midway through last season. He spent the remainder of the season at Bayern Munich on loan. After the temporary stint ended, the Bundesliga champions turned down the opportunity to sign Cancelo on a permanent deal.
Since returning to the Etihad, Cancelo’s career has been in limbo a bit. He is yet to be fully involved back in the first team and has been left out of all four of their matchday squads so far this season, with a move away expected in the coming weeks of the transfer window.
Barcelona are said to be the likeliest candidate for his signature, but the economics of the operation are proving difficult for cash-strapped Catalans.
It has been Barcelona’s priority to sign a right-back for a while now. Xavi opted to start central defender Ronald Araujo in that position last season, but the Uruguayan superstar had sustained a thigh injury, ruling him out of action for at least a month.
The report adds that the Blaugrana have already agreed personal terms with the defender but are yet to seal a deal with City, who are demanding a mandatory purchase clause at the end of the loan spell worth €60 million, whereas Barca are hoping for an option for a lower price in the region of €50 million.
That being said, Arsenal could step in and hijack the deal, having already held talks with the player’s agent. Cancelo would provide further flexibility for Arteta, who wants strong competition across his whole squad. He could easily fit in for Arsenal given his ability to play both full-back positions.
Crucially, he is also comfortable at stepping into the midfield, like Zinchenko. The Gunners will have to be quick, though, as Barcelona hold a very serious interest. Also, it remains to be seen whether City would be open let yet another star join tipped title rivals Arsenal.
