Arsenal and Joao Cancelo: Take a bargain when you see it

Per reports, Joao Cancelo might leave Manchester City. He has already been linked with former club Valencia, but I cannot imagine he would turn down a move to Arsenal if it materialized. We should capitalize while we can.

Recently, rumors have circled about Joao Cancelo leaving Manchester City. Per Matt Jones of Bleacher Report, Valencia is the potential target for the Portuguese fullback. But with Arsenal‘s problems at right-back mounting, I think the former Juventus man could be the perfect move this January.

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Ainsley Maitland-Niles is an excellent deputy right back. He has his problems, but these past few weeks has been excellent week in and week out. There’s just one problem: he can’t do it forever. As frustrating as our game of roulette at left back is, I am honestly more concerned about the other side of the field. Maitland-Niles cannot do this forever. Bellerin is always hurt. What happens when injuries force them to watch from the sidelines?

Despite Maitland-Niles’ recent run of good form, we still have one true right back at the club. And that is an issue that needs resolving. Hector Bellerin is far too injury prone to establish any semblance of consistency, or be a reliable long-term option. Enter Joao Cancelo. Cancelo established himself as one of the most exciting right backs in the world at Juventus and Inter, and yet has found very little game time at City, thanks to Kyle Walker’s run of good form. He is apparently unhappy as a result. Who wouldn’t be?

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I think North London would be a very attractive destination for Cancelo. He has some experience in the English game, and is adapting quickly. His swashbuckling runs down the right are his trademark, but he also has a defensive nous greater than what we have seen out of Bellerin in his six-odd years at Arsenal. He has 6 tackles, 14 interceptions, and 32 recoveries on the season despite limited gametime; Ainsley Maitland-Niles has less than double of the latter two statistics in over twice as many starts. He would be a clear and obvious improvement on what we have now, and has the added benefit of freeing Maitland-Niles (once Bellerin is healthy) to play his chosen position. He can also deploy at left-back: he found some success there for both Valencia and Inter when asked to.

Pep Guardiola has expressed nothing definitive when asked about Cancelo’s future at the club. Here is what he said after the 2-1 win at Everton, per Chris Wheeler of MailOnline, as well as Marca.

"“This player we bought him for many years, not for six months, but what happens happens. As I said, I don’t know what will happen in a few weeks, and in the summer we will discuss.”“If a player wants to leave, it’s simple. The agent has to call to the club, arrive at an arrangement, and he will leave—and if he doesn’t get an agreement, he will stay here.”“The rumours are rumours; they are what they are. Until the agents call or we call, I don’t take any interest about that. In the last month, we’ve had the best Kyle [Walker], and I give continuity to him. Joao is adapting, and he has a special ability, and he can help us in many many games.”“At the end, the player has to decide if he wants to fight and stay here with us or not. They decide. Everyone is free to do what you want to do in their whole lives.“"

I cannot imagine Pep wants Cancelo to leave. But the 25-year-old has only played seven games for the Citizens this season, two coming briefly as a substitute. He has improved as each of those has gone on, with the 2-1 win at Everton his crowing performance. VAR denied him his first league assist in that game, and he is at the age in his career where he needs consistent gametime to establish himself as one of the best in the game. He has a higher ceiling than any of the options at Mikel Arteta’s disposal, and the Spaniard already knows Cancelo’s game from his time at Manchester City.

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I think this is a very low-risk, high reward proposition. And rumors have surfaced that other teams are sniffing around for a hint that Cancelo would play for them. Let’s make sure we get there first. And it doesn’t have to occur this January. After spending over 100 million in the summer, Stan Kroenke and Arsenal will not want to dig deeper in their pockets. But the potential of a pre-contract, or an agreement to do a deal in July, is a delicious prospect, and one the club should not overlook.

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