Pep Guardiola gives Mikel Arteta transfer signal to sign £35m City star
Manchester City’s revised asking price for Joao Cancelo has significantly boosted Arsenal’s chances of signing him this summer.
The Portugal international was banished from Pep Guardiola’s roster following the conclusion of the World Cup, resulting in his loan move to Bayern Munich during the January transfer window.
Cancelo’s loan period in Germany came to an end with the conclusion of the Bundesliga and Premier League seasons this past weekend.
In the contract that allowed him to depart Manchester in January, a €70 million (£60.7 million) buy option was included, but the German champions will not exercise it, allowing Cancelo to return to Manchester.
Guardiola appears uninterested in retaining him in the squad for the upcoming season, which opens the door for Arsenal to acquire Cancelo.
As an inverted fullback, Cancelo would be an ideal match for Mikel Arteta’s tactical system, which heavily relies on a fullback drifting inside and overloading the midfield with possession.
Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus moved from Etihad Stadium to Arsenal last summer, and Cancelo could follow suit in the impending transfer window.
Despite the €70 million (£60.7 million) buy option that Bayern could have exercised, according to a new report from the Spanish publication Sport, City have substantially reduced his asking price to half of that amount.
They claim that Guardiola will approve an exit if a club is willing to pay €40 million (£34.7 million). La Liga champions Barcelona are also interested in signing Cancelo this summer, but FFP issues could impede a transfer.
According to Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, Guardiola’s stance on selling more players to the Gunners has not changed despite Jesus and Zinchenko coming close to assisting Arsenal win the title.
Speaking to wettfreunde about Guardiola’s stance on Cancelo, he stated, “I don’t believe Guardiola is a coach who will say no, you don’t have to go there – because he’s superior. He believes he is superior in every dynamic football situation.
“I don’t believe he would create a negative circumstance for him (Joao Cancelo) to leave, and I don’t believe Guardiola wants to say no to Arsenal or Arteta, as he is a close friend of Arteta. I do not believe he will decline.”
Ilkay Gundogan is another City player of interest to the Gunners this summer, alongside Cancelo. The German midfielder’s contract expires next month, and if no extension is reached, he could depart the club for free, with Barcelona also interested in signing him.
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Pep Guardiola gives Mikel Arteta transfer signal to sign £35m City star