Arsenal in contact with agent of 29-year-old Barcelona target: Reports
Premier League giants Arsenal have reportedly gotten in touch with the agent of Barcelona target and Manchester City loanee Joao Cancelo.
Arsenal have long been linked with a move for Bayern Munich right-back Cancelo. The 29-year-old Portuguese fullback is set to return to the Etihad Stadium in July, but his future at the club remains uncertain. He was sent on loan to Germany after losing his spot to Nathan Ake. Given how well Ake has played lately, the situation is unlikely to change next season.
The Gunners and Barcelona are both interested in signing Cancelo, with renowned Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano reporting that the Blaugrana are currently leading the race for his services. In his latest column for Caught Offside, Romano claimed that there had been talks between Arsenal and Cancelo’s agent, but they were not the favorites to get him.
Romano wrote:
“All I can say for the time being is that Cancelo is one of the players appreciated by Arsenal, and there have been talks between the club and the player’s agent, but Barcelona are the favorites.”
As per Romano, Arsenal are currently working on signing Jurrien Timber from Ajax. The versatile center-back has two years left on his Ajax contract and the north London outfit wish to pay £30 million for his services. The journalist, however, feels that Mikel Arteta’s side will have to pay more than that to get their man.
Barcelona pass on the opportunity to sign Manchester United target Adrien Rabiot
Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot, who is set to become a free agent at the end of the month, currently sees his future shrouded in speculation. According to Spanish journalist Gerard Romero, the French midfielder’s entourage offered Barcelona the chance to sign him, but the club chose to turn it down.
Barca’s decision bodes well for Manchester United, who have been interested in the midfielder for a while. Alongside the Red Devils, Atletico Madrid are also believed to be in the mix, but Rabiot’s wage demands could stop Los Rojiblancos from moving forward.
The former Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) midfielder enjoyed a fruitful spell at the Allianz Stadium, featuring regularly for the Bianconeri. He appeared in 177 games for Juventus between the 2019-20 and 2022-23 seasons, scoring 17 times and providing 12 assists.