Joao Cancelo. The type of name a year ago we would have associated with one of Pep Guardiola’s undroppable core but in that time since his stock fell so low under the Spaniard that he sought out an exit from the club in January and joined Bayern Munich on loan.
Like Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus before him, it is perhaps unsurprising to see the Portuguese international then linked with a move to north London in the summer. Bayern do have the option of making the deal permanent for around £61m but the latest indications are that won’t be happening.
A move by Arsenal for Cancelo would surely be expensive, as his buy-option clause indicates from his loan. Arsenal have a number of key targets in midfield like Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo who are expected to take up a huge portion of their summer budget.
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However, theoretically, if Arsenal were able to pull off the signing of Cancelo in addition to the likes of Rice and Caicedo, where might the versatile full-back fit in? Being a full-back, it makes sense that he would fulfil either the right or left-back role.
Cancelo made a name for himself on the left side fulfilling what has become the inverted role at Man City. You’d imagine if Arsenal were to bring him in he’d feature on that flank.
To do so, the irony would be to drop Oleksandr Zinchenko from the team to fit him in. Switch him to the right, which is what I’d personally do, and the Ukrainian is still not safe.
Perhaps Bukayo Saka has dropped off somewhat without William Saliba’s presence, in fact, it isn’t a question it’s fact. Cancelo supporting both Saka and Martin Odegaard on the right is too exciting a prospect to turn down.
Meanwhile, having the offensive full-back on the right means some change would be necessary for the left to provide balance. Zinchenko would surely leave the team too greatly exposed, to an even bigger degree than at present, and so Kieran Tierney or Takehiro Tomiyasu would make the greater amount of sense to come in.
Both Ben White and Zinchenko, two players Arteta has become hugely reliant upon, missing out with the addition of just one player. This is therefore maybe the big reason beyond the price tag why Cancelo may not be the full-back Arsenal pursue.
Possible Arsenal XI with Joao Cancelo: Ramsdale; Cancelo, Saliba, Gabriel, Tierney; Rice, Caicedo, Odegaard; Saka, Martinelli, Jesus
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