Joao Cancelo quietly grew into one of the top full-backs in Italy last year, as he appeared in 25 Serie A games and seven Champions League games for Juventus.
It’s no surprise that Cancelo has been an important transfer target for Manchester City all summer.
According to Sky Sports, Manchester City and Juventus continue to discuss a possible deal for Cancelo.
Earlier this summer, City offered £36m and Danilo to Juventus in exchange for Cancelo, but they were rejected. Juventus instead were looking for a straight cash deal of around £55m for the Portuguese defender.
However, with the Premier League transfer window set to close on 8 August, Juventus have reconsidered City’s initial offer, and now it appears that Cancelo will in fact be joining Manchester City.
Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano recently reported that the two clubs have reached a deal for Cancelo.
Twitter: João Cancelo has just left Juventus training center. He’s ready to become a new Manchester City player – the swap w… https://t.co/WHwD9734rB (@FabrizioRomano)
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What kind of player is Cancelo? And where does he fit in with Manchester City?
While Cancelo has great attacking skills, he was deployed primarily as a right back for Juventus last year, in part because the Old Lady were loaded with attackers up front. Nonetheless, Cancelo has the speed and agility to play virtually anywhere on the right or left side, including in more advanced positions.
He possesses great technical skills, and he is especially noted for his crossing ability. On top of that, because Cancelo is only 26 years of age, he is expected to grow into an even better player moving forward.
For Manchester City, Cancelo may play in a different role compared to the one he had at Juventus. With Kyle Walker likely to start most of the fixtures at right back, Cancelo could play at left back for Pep Guardiola.
The City boss struggled to find consistency at the left back position all last year, but Cancelo now appears to be the answer to his problems. Although this role will be new to the Portuguese defender, he certainly has the talent to quickly adapt and succeed.
Cancelo represents another big signing that makes City again one of the favourites to contend for the Premier League and the Champions League titles.
