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What Fabrizio Romano has to say about Joao Cancelo to Arsenal
According to renowned transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal has expressed interest in signing Manchester City defender Joao Cancelo during the summer transfer window. Romano further revealed that Arsenal has received a boost in their pursuit of the Portuguese international.
Joao Cancelo, who left Manchester City to join Bayern on loan in January, hoped to secure more regular playing time at the German club.
However, his loan spell at the Allianz Arena has not been entirely successful. While he has made 17 appearances for Bayern across all competitions, he initially struggled to earn game time following the appointment of manager Thomas Tuchel, who succeeded Julian Nagelsmann.
Romano previously reported that Bayern had no intention of triggering the €70 million buy clause included in Cancelo’s loan contract, but they might be open to negotiations with Manchester City to lower the fee. Spanish outlet Sport has suggested that Cancelo could be available for €40 million.
Reiterating his earlier report, Romano provided an update on Arsenal’s interest in Cancelo during a recent discussion on his YouTube channel. He confirmed that Bayern will not pay the €70 million required to secure the defender’s permanent transfer.
Romano stated,
“I can guarantee, as I told you multiple times, that [Bayern] will not pay that money for Cancelo. Bayern are not paying the clause.”
Romano went on to explain that Manchester City has granted permission for Cancelo to leave the club this summer and is keen to find a suitable destination for the player.
The Premier League champions are reportedly content with their current options at full-back and do not plan on retaining Cancelo in their squad for the upcoming season.
The transfer journalist also mentioned that both Barcelona and Arsenal have shown interest in acquiring the services of Joao Cancelo. However, he acknowledged that the rivalry between City and Arsenal in the Premier League might pose a challenge to any potential deal.
Romano stated,
“He’s one of the players that Arsenal appreciate. At the moment, there is not a negotiation yet – we have to see how negotiations between Manchester City and Arsenal will be after [the signings of] Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus.”
The pursuit of Joao Cancelo by Arsenal remains in the early stages, with negotiations yet to commence between the clubs.
However, the reported interest from the Gunners and Manchester City’s willingness to facilitate the defender’s departure indicate that a potential transfer could unfold in the coming months.
