Joao Cancelo has already explained why he may reject Arsenal transfer amid fresh links

Arsenal may be at a disadvantage when it comes to the potential signing of Joao Cancelo this summer.

The Gunners have already been bold during this transfer window, snapping up the likes of Kai Havertz, Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber, and spending around £200million along the way. Mikel Arteta is desperate to close the gap to Manchester City, and the club are firmly behind him in his mission.

That means there could get be further arrivals, and three areas of interest include one of the forward roles, a midfielder in the case Thomas Partey departs, and the right-back position.

Ben White has performed well on the right-hand side, but Arteta may want a more attacking full-back to match what he has on the other side with Oleksandr Zinchenko. Much will depend on the funds available in the back-end of the window, but journalist Dean Jones believes Arsenal may go in for wantaway Manchester City star Joao Cancelo having been linked throughout the summer.

Jones told the Ranks FC Ultras Podcast: “I think the defence will see an addition in. I still think that Cancelo is a possibility, and Barca are sniffing around that one too, but if that drags on and Cancelo is still available in a few weeks or a month’s time I could see that being an August deal that Arsenal do look to do. To put the icing on the cake, maybe another forward who could be an alternator for Saka, that’s basically what I’ve been told to look out for at this point.”

The problem with a move for Cancelo is that Barcelona have also been linked, and while the Blaugrana will need to comission exits first, they do have an advantage. That’s because one of Cancelo’s all-time heroes is a Barca legend in Ronaldinho, making a move to Camp Nou that much more appealing.

Cancelo told Bayern Munich’s official website last summer after completing his loan move: “My biggest hero on the football pitch is Ronaldinho Gaucho. Thanks to his joy in playing, his charisma. For me he is the most talented of all football players.

“I never saw Diego Maradona or Pelé play, nor Marco van Basten and Johan Cruyff. The relaxed, huge joy of Ronaldinho, being smart and brave, the magic on the pitch and the fun he gave the spectators was all unique. So, Ronaldinho Gaucho is my hero.”