Arsenal could hijack Barcelona’s attempt to sign Manchester City star Joao Cancelo on transfer deadline day, according to journalist Hrach Khachatryan on Twitter.
It is unclear as to whether the Gunners have submitted an official bid for the player as of yet – they are, however, thought to be in contact with Cancelo’s representatives as they aim to work out a contract deal with them.
Should Arsenal seal a deal to bring Cancelo on board, it will be in the form of a loan deal – currently, it seems as though they are not considering a permanent transfer for the 29-year-old. They are reportedly pursuing a loan deal that will keep him at the Emirates Stadium until the end of the 2023/24 Premier League season.
In Khachatryan’s tweet, he wrote: “Arsenal are in contact with Joao Cancelo representatives. They are exploring option to loan him until the end of this season.”
Who else, besides Arsenal and Barcelona, are interested in a deal for Cancelo?
With Cancelo’s availability touted by Manchester City after his reported falling out with head coach Pep Guardiola, plenty of clubs have thrown their hat into the ring.
While Barcelona are the current favourites to complete a deal, teams such as Real Madrid and various unnamed clubs in the Saudi Pro League, have also registered an interest in the player over the course of the last few months.
Where would Cancelo fit into the squad?
An adaptable fullback, Cancelo can play as both a right-back and a left-back to an elite level. Of the two positions, at this current moment, it is likely that Arsenal will play him at right-back.
Currently, Arsenal have two fit senior team right-backs (Takehiro Tomiyasu and Ben White) and one left-back (Oleksandr Zinchenko). However, Mikel Arteta seems keen to shift Ben White back to centre-back, while Tomiyasu isn’t quite on the elite level that the Gunners would like him to be.
Of course, it’s likely that he will feature in both positions, like he did at City, should he agree a deal to join Arsenal in the summer transfer window. Moreover, he can also deputise at right midfield.
