Pep Guardiola won’t block Joao Cancelo’s path if Arsenal make a move for him this summer, according to a report.
Arsenal are reportedly interested in a move for Joao Cancelo this summer, but suggestions of a deal have often been played down on the basis that Manchester City might not want to sell to the Gunners again.
After Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko made that move last summer and propelled Arsenal up into title contention, City might be wary of giving their rivals further assistance this summer.
Yet Gianluca Di Marzio doesn’t think Pep Guardiola will stand in the way of the transfer, if he has any say in it.
“I don’t think Guardiola is a coach who’ll say no, you don’t have to go there,” Di Marzio said (via Yahoo!).
“I don’t think he’d put a negative situation for him (Joao Cancelo) to go.
“And I don’t think that Guardiola wants to say no to Arsenal or Arteta because he’s a big friend of Arteta. I don’t think he’ll say no.”
Fabrizio Romano broke the news on Monday that Bayern Munich won’t trigger their €70m option to buy in Joao Cancelo’s contract, with Florian Plettenberg of Sky Sport Germany confirming the update.
But Cancelo is also unlikely to return to Manchester City, with Romano adding that City are “ready to sell” the full-back this summer.
Romano claims Arsenal appreciate the defender, and he’s one of the names on their summer shortlist. But Barcelona also have a genuine interest, and they’ve followed him since January.
In Barcelona’s case, the primary obstacle is FFP, as with many of their potential signings this summer.
The Gunners are looking to strengthen in the left-back position, and though Cancelo is still under contract at City until 2027, his alleged fall-out with Pep Guardiola in January makes it hard to see them hanging onto him.
The Evening Standard write that in the current economic climate, City may have to accept that the Premier League remains the best market for selling.
All of City’s major sales last summer were within the Premier League, selling Jesus and Zinchenko to Arsenal and Raheem Sterling to Chelsea.
Cancelo scored three goals and assisted 10 in 47 appearances this season, the same goal contribution tallies that he hit in the previous campaign with City in the Premier League.