According to Sport, Barcelona could enter the race to sign Manchester City target Joao Cancelo, if Nelson Semedo leaves the club this summer. The Juventus right-back has been linked with a move away from Allianz Stadium this summer as the Old Lady look to cut down on wages, and Man City had been believed to be a potential destination.
However, Barcelona’s apparent interest could serve as a massive blow for the Citizens, and it’s imperative that they double their efforts in signing Cancelo if they are to secure the services of the Portuguese international this summer.
Cancelo’s debut campaign at Juventus
Regarded as one of the best right-backs in Europe, Cancelo initially moved to Juventus from Valencia last summer, for a fee of €40.4 million. However, the 25-year-old endured a difficult debut campaign in the Serie A and was a victim of Massimiliano Allegri’s rotation policy.
Indeed, Cancelo was often rotated with Mattia de Sciglio throughout the campaign, which resulted in the Portuguese sensation mustering only 1,967 minutes of league football. He was also involved in just three goals and seeing how new coach Maurizio Sarri favours Italian players; it would be unlikely for Cancelo to have a future at Allianz Stadium.
What can Cancelo bring to the table?
Cancelo is an attack-minded full-back. He likes to camp himself in the opposition half, and his technical qualities allow him to thrive under the possession-based style of play. The 25-year-old can fabricate scoring opportunities by playing quick passes in the final third.
He can also ease the build-up play by forming a passing triangle with the midfielder and the winger – making him an ideal fit for Pep Guardiola’s Juego de posicion style of play. Most importantly, however, the Juventus star has the pace to not only provide a threat on the counter but to also cover a lot of grounds in a quick span of time and that’s what makes him such a sought-after right-back in Europe.
Should Man City step up their pursuit of Cancelo?
Manchester City’s lack of options in the fullback department is already well documented. And while Guardiola has paid a lot of attention in the left-back slot this summer, the right-back department also remains a problem, with Kyle Walker being the only reliable option with Danilo likely to leave the club.
Cancelo, in that regard, should be an exciting option for Guardiola. As discussed earlier, the Portuguese international is ideally suited to Guardiola’s possession-based style of play, and he can also provide some much-needed competition for Walker in the right-back slot. Hence, the Citizens should definitely step up their pursuit of this highly rated Juventus superstar, who has the talent to become the best right-back in the Premier League.
