Gossip: Arsenal to swoop for City outcast as Man Utd eye Benfica, Juve, Bayern stars

Manchester United are prioritising a Portugal midfielder this summer but they have a familiar back-up option if Benfica can’t be persuaded to lower their demands…

ARSENAL TO BEAT BARCA TO CANCELO

Joao Cancelo is having a lovely time at Barcelona and the Catalans seem pretty keen to keep the Portugal defender beyond the end of the season, when he is due to return to Manchester City.

That could be an awkward reunion given the state of relations between Cancelo and City right now. The full-back spoke out over the weekend when rumours over the reasons for his Etihad exit were put to him: “Lies have been told… I think Man City were a bit ungrateful to me.”

So City would doubtless be happy to sell Cancelo but, as ever, the problem for Barca is finding the money.

The Sun says Barca will struggle to cobble together the £40million required to sign Cancelo permanently, which could allow Arsenal to swoop. The Gunners have been linked before with the 29-year-old, who remains under contract at City for three more years.

UNITED TARGET £103M MIDFIELDER

Manchester United are said to be targeting one of Cancelo’s international team-mates as a priority this summer.

Caught Offside claims to have ‘sources with a close understanding of United’s plans’ which feature Benfica midfielder Joao Neves. But the teenager won’t come cheap. United or anyone else keen to sign Neves is expected to stump up the £103million necessary to buy him out of his contract.

So, yet again, Adrien Rabiot is being considered as a cheaper option. The Juventus midfielder is once more heading towards free-agency and we’ve all been here before.

The same sources also highlight Dayot Upamecano as a possible defensive target if United receive word that Bayern Munich are prepared to sell this summer.

CHELSEA OFFER DUO TO REAL MADRID

Everyone knows Chelsea need to raise some cash – and quick – this summer to ensure they comply with Premier League PSR. Which has, apparently, led them to Real Madrid…

Defensa Central says the Blues have offered Real the chance to sign Enzo Fernandez and Marc Cucurella for a combined fee of £166million.

There seems little prospect of Real giving Chelsea their money back on the £105million midfielder and £60million defender, especially when they are already prioritising Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies once Kylian Mbappe is tied up.

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