According to a recent tweet posted by Italian journalist Nicolo Schira (via the Daily Star), Manchester City have made a £45m offer for Juventus full-back Joao Cancelo, but the Italian club are demanding a fee in the region of £54m. Schira’s full tweet read, “#ManchesterCity have offered €50M to #Juventus for Joao #Cancelo (he has an agreement with City for a contract until 2024 by €5M at year). #Agnelli wants €60M, but with bonuses, they could close the transfer. Contacts ongoing to finalize the deal. #transfers #MCFC.”
Cancelo’s European Experience Could Greatly Benefit Man City
Man City managed to secure a domestic treble after winning the Premier League, the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup last season. However, the Citizens are still finding it difficult coping with life in the UEFA Champions League as they have never gone beyond the quarterfinal stages of the competition which has been a significant disappointment for Pep Guardiola’s team.
Cancelo is vastly experienced in Europe and could be a player who comes in and does well for Man City. Kyle Walker has often struggled to be productive at the highest level which was evidenced by the English right-back’s sub-par performance against Tottenham Hotspur at the new White Hart Lane in the Champions League earlier this summer. Hence, Guardiola could decide to bring Cancelo in so that he has a strong enough squad to challenge for Europe’s prestigious trophy in the coming years.
The Portuguese Full-back’s Successful Season In The Serie A
The Juventus full-back has enjoyed a fruitful year in Turin as he helped his club win another Serie A title last season. The Benfica academy graduate has featured in 34 matches for the Italian giants this term, scoring one goal while providing eight assists across all competitions.
Cancelo has also proved his value as a capable defensive asset for Juve after he made an average of 1.7 tackles, 0.8 interceptions and 1.5 clearances per game in the previous campaign (Stats via Whoscored).
Will Cancelo Be A Good Fit For Guardiola’s Brand Of Football At The Etihad Stadium?
Cancelo is incredibly quick with the ball at his feet and can complete some dangerous dribbles on the right wing. He tends to deliver some quality crosses into the opposition penalty area and is a forward’s dream due to his unselfish nature in the offensive end of the field.
The 25-year-old will be a significant upgrade over Danilo as he would provide more defensive protection inside his own half. Thus, it makes a lot of sense for the Citizens to go all out to secure Cancelo’s services this summer.
