Joao Cancelo next club: Latest odds for the Portugal defender

Where will he play football, and which will be the Joao Cancelo next club? This article looks at the sides linked with a move for the Portugal defender.

Much-admired Cancelo has had a fantastic career despite his age. The 29-year-old versatile defender has played for numerous clubs. It all began in 2012 when he signed his first professional contract with Benfica.

After that, spells with Valencia, Inter Milan, and Juventus were the ones that developed the Portuguese into the world-class right-back we all know and love today. After three wonderful years with Manchester City, Joao was surprisingly loaned out to Bavarian giants Bayern Munich last season, where he made 15 appearances, scoring once.

There has been a falling out between Joao Cancelo and Pep Guardiola, there’s no denying that.

The question is, did the pair manage to iron out their differences before the 2023/24 campaign kicks off?

Are Joao Cancelo’s best days with the Citizens ahead of him or is Manchester City a closed book for the Portuguese? And if so, which are the top candidates to poach him away from Etihad? Let’s analyze the key favorites for Joao’s signature.

Joao Cancelo next club latest odds

  • To stay at City – 11/10
  • Arsenal – 13/10
  • Barcelona – 3/1
Joao Cancelo next club
Photo by Icon sport

To stay at Manchester City – 11/10

Nothing gets past Guardiola’s eye, it seems. Rumors have it that the Spanish legend is ready to bury the hatchet and reintroduce Joao Cancelo to Manchester City’s starting XI.

The humility, professionalism, and work ethic that Joao has been demonstrating in pre-season is something that Pep Guardiola pointed out in an interview a few days ago. In addition, Joao Cancelo has been brilliant in the pre-season friendlies thus far, making it clear that despite playing second fiddle in Munich, Cancelo has the arsenal to be the best player in the World in his position.

What are Guardiola’s alternatives? Bet on 18-year-old Rico Lewis throughout the 2023/24 campaign? We find it hard to believe. Manchester City remain firm favorites to have Cancelo on their side during this difficult season.

Arsenal – 13/10

The Gunners already got a serious boost by adding Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, and Jurrien Timber to their roster. A move on Joao Cancelo has the potential to break the bank, as Arsenal already spent a whopping €231m on transfer fees this summer.

However, Mikel Arteta seems determined to deprive Manchester City of Premier League glory this season, after a misfortunate 2022/23 campaign.

The competition at Emirates would be massive, as the Gunners already snapped up Ajax’s Timber on a £34.2m deal. Will Joao Cancelo want the hustle to book a place among the starters? He’s surely not one that shies away from a fight, so if Arsenal manages to finance this deal, the Portuguese might actually agree to sign a contract with the club from London.

Barcelona – 3/1

The Catalan side’s chances to steal Cancelo are lower, as Barcelona’s financial issues are no secret. Plenty of players left the club, but more will have to go if Joan Laporta is to save Blaugrana from bankruptcy.

Barcelona’s desire to have a world-class player such as Cancelo isn’t a surprise. After all, who would want to play for a legendary club such as Barcelona? However, it’s all about money in modern football, and it doesn’t seem like the La Liga team has the fiscal backbone to support such a deal.

Barcelona will surely make a new push for the 29-year-old should Dembele abandon the club for French giants PSG, as coach Xavi’s starting XI will look weak on the wing without the winger. Joao Cancelo’s versatility might fill in that gap.

Fabrizio Romano said that if the Citizens’ defender is out of reach, Barcelona would probably go for Ivan Fresneda. If Cancelo is determined on joining Barcelona, he’d have to agree on a massive wage cut, which doesn’t seem like something a newcomer would do.

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