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Arsenal are reportedly proving to be a major stumbling block in Barcelona's pursuit of Manchester City defender Joao Cancelo.
According to Diario SPORT (via Barca Universal), the Gunners are gaining the upper hand in the race for Cancelo this summer. Mikel Arteta's side are said to have held talks with the Portuguese right-back's representatives and are starting negotiations with City.
Cancelo, 29, has been placed on the transfer list by the Cityzens after falling out of favor with manager Pep Guardiola. He was sent out on loan to Bayern Munich in January and made 21 appearances across competitions, chipping in with seven-goal contributions.
However, Bayern are not interested in making his loan move a permanent one and he is now in Arsenal and Barcelona's sights. The issue the Blaugrana have is that they would rather sign Cancelo on loan amid their financial complications.
Barca do hold a strong relationship with Cancelo's agent Jorge Mendes. However, Guardiola's side's stance on a permanent departure means Arsenal are now leading the race for the player.
Cancelo was regarded as one of the Premier League's best full-backs before falling out with Guardiola. He has made 154 appearances for the Cityzens, winning the league title on three occasions. He also won the Bundesliga with Bayern this season.
Transfermarkt values Cancelo at €60 million, a price that Barcelona would most definitely not be willing to pay. Hence, the Portuguese international may remain in the English top flight with the Gunners emerging as favorites.
Barcelona's Sergio Busquets heaps praise on former manager Pep Guardiola
Sergio Busquets has decided to leave Barcelona when his contract expires in June. The veteran Spaniard has been a mainstay in the Catalan giants' side since rising through the youth ranks and making his senior debut in 2008.
It was Manchester City boss Guardiola who handed Busquets his debut and the Spanish midfielder shined under his tutelage. He grew into one of Europe's greatest defensive midfielders, making 191 appearances under the Spanish coach.
Busquets has lauded Guardiola for the role he played in his growth as a footballer. He said (via Football-Italia):
“He (Guardiola) trusted me, I listened and followed him. He changed my life. I had already worked with him in Barça B, he was already the best in the World, but nobody knew. He’s still the best because he improves everything he touches,”
The Spanish midfielder won two Champions League trophies and three La Liga titles playing under Guardiola. The former Barca manager has gone on to manage Bayern and City. He has the Cityzens on course for a remarkable treble after leading them to their third Premier League title in a row.
