Arsenal could propel themselves even closer to a first Premier League title in two decades by signing João Cancelo in the summer window, transfer insider Dean Jones suggested to GIVEMESPORT.
Cancelo is expected to leave Manchester City in the summer, having spent the last five months on loan at Bayern Munich.
Arsenal transfer news – João Cancelo
According to a report by 90min, Arsenal are one of three sides eyeing up a move for the out-of-favour Cancelo when the window opens.
Having failed to grab the headlines during a short-term loan spell with Bayern, the Portuguese international is expected to return to City at the end of the season.
After departing the club in the January transfer window amid rumours of a bust-up with manager Pep Guardiola, it’s suggested Cancelo has already played his final match for the reigning Premier League champions.
Instead, the two-time Premier League winner is tipped to leave east Manchester, with Arsenal one of the interested parties.
What has Dean Jones said about Cancelo to Arsenal?
When quizzed about the chances of Cancelo joining Arsenal, transfer insider Jones told GIVEMESPORT: “But at some point, we get to the stage of asking, are Man City going to keep providing talent for Arsenal to put title challenges together?
“The message out of City is always that they don’t show fear when it comes to selling players, and that they don’t stand in the way of players that want to leave. But given the helping hand that they’ve given Arsenal to be their main title competitors, by selling Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus, there’s got to be a point at which you consider, do you really want to do that again?
“The problem they’ve got is, there aren’t that many clubs that would pay what they’re going to want for Cancelo and you’re only really going to get that within the Premier League.
“There aren’t many teams that actually need that type of player, so you’d probably rather he goes abroad. There’s a bit of a conundrum there, but I think if Arsenal could get Cancelo, he would be starting every single week and I think that again, just raises the levels of that team.”
How much is Cancelo likely to cost Arsenal?
Should he join in the summer, it’s unlikely Arsenal will be able to snatch Cancelo away from City for a cheap price.
Unlike Jesus and Zinchenko, whose contracts at City were both close to expiring before leaving the Etihad Stadium, Cancelo only recently penned a new deal with the club.
Currently under contract until the summer of 2027, it’s claimed by the 90min report that City could demand a fee close to £61 million for the fullback, should he depart in the off-season.
With players ahead of Cancelo in Arsenal’s list of summer targets, any deal for the Portugal star would need to come at a reduced cost for the Gunners.
