Joao Cancelo will reportedly look to leave Manchester City this summer, and his preference is to move to a club that plays in a warmer climate – in what may be a blow to Arsenal.
The full-back has just finished up his loan spell with Bayern Munich that culminated in him winning the Bundesliga.
Cancelo joined the Bavarian giants in January, after he had grown frustrated at his lack of game time at the Etihad Stadium.
City, not wanting to risk the harmony of the dressing room, sanctioned a loan move for Cancelo and negotiated a £61 million option to buy clause.
Bayern will not be triggering that clause.
And so, Cancelo will head back to City this summer and discuss the next steps.
German outlet AZ have produced a report today about what Cancelo wants to do now that he won’t be joining Bayern permanently.
They say that Cancelo does not want to stay in England.
The line is that Cancelo would be just as uninterested joining Arsenal – who were recently linked – as he would be staying at City.
The player – who City apparently value at around £35 million – is said to want to leave England, and join a team playing in a warmer climate.
So that potentially points to Barcelona, who have been linked Cancelo in recent times.
A warmer climate would also include Portugal, so maybe his old club Benfica might fancy him. But that might now be a move Cancelo is willing to consider at this stage of his career.
Manchester City should definitely try and sell Joao Cancelo to an overseas club and avoid doing business with Arsenal
It is within City’s interests to sell Cancelo to an overseas club this summer.
City allowed Arsenal to sign two players last summer in Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko. Selling Cancelo to the Gunners should not be entertained.
This would potentially bring Arsenal closer to City.
Cancelo remains a top player and he would obviously improve Mikel Arteta’s side.
But thankfully according to this German report, it does not seem like Cancelo particularly wants to go there.
We shall see if Barca come in for Cancelo. Xavi has just stated in a new interview that his side were set to sign him in January, but City pulled the plug.
