Barcelona announced on Thursday the signing of defender João Cancelo as a free agent. According to the club's statement, the midfielder will play for the team until June 30, 2029.
The Portuguese player ended his contract with Saudi club Al-Hilal to return to Camp Nou. The 32-year-old Cancelo previously played for 'Barça' twice on loan, including the second half of last season, helping Hansi Flick's team retain the La Liga title. Before joining Manchester City in 2019, Cancelo played in Portugal, Spain, and Italy.
In the 2023/24 season, he was loaned to Bayern Munich and then to Barcelona, after which he moved to Al-Hilal in 2024. Cancelo joins 'Barça' this summer following Rodri, Anthony Gordon, and Karim Adeyemi. The Catalan giants are still looking to sign a striker after the departures of Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres.
'Barça' had hoped to sign Julián Álvarez from Atlético Madrid, but the club faced rejection from the Argentine player.
Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta confirmed that 'Arsenal' is interested in acquiring a defender and is an 'active' participant in the transfer market. These statements came amid reports that the Premier League champions have reached an agreement regarding Aston Villa central defender Ezri Konsa.
Arteta has been searching for a defender since the end of last season and appears ready to secure the Englishman Konsa. Previously, 'Arsenal' submitted a bid for Konsa, which was rejected, and temporarily shifted focus to Bayer Leverkusen defender Jarrell Quansah. However, by increasing their offer to approximately 50 million pounds (£68 million USD), 'Arsenal' is reportedly on the verge of a deal with the 28-year-old player.
Given that William Saliba is out for a 'long period' due to back problems, and Jurrien Timber is recovering from groin injury, Konsa could take up a spot in the 'Arsenal' defense next to Gabriel Magalhães.
Arteta told reporters on Thursday: 'We are truly active in the market. I think I mentioned a few days ago, the ambition is to improve the squad. Obviously, we have a specific need in the background. Especially with Saliba's long-term injury, the fact that we lack another defender is obvious. We are trying to strengthen that area, and as soon as we are ready, we will announce something. I am always optimistic, I am always confident. But that is not something I can control. It does not depend only on us.'
If the transfer is completed, Konsa will join 'Arsenal' following Bruno Guimarães, Christos Tsizos, Piero Incapié, and Allan Meslier, who joined the club at the end of last season. These acquisitions make Arteta's team even stronger, as they aim to win their first title since the 1930s.
The North Londoners begin defending their title at home against Coventry on Friday, and Arteta urged his players to prove they deserve to be among the greatest Premier League teams. He emphasized that these teams possess incredible quality in maintaining standards at the highest level daily, and this is the chance they have.
Arsenal already has a trophy this season after defeating Manchester City 3-0 in the Community Shield on Sunday. This was a significant statement of intent to rivals, showing 'Arsenal's' determination to continue dominating the Premier League.
Arteta noted that he feels good, differently, and hopes it will get better, adding: 'I am more excited than ever, hungrier than ever. What we need to show is that this desire and ambition—to be better than last season, a month ago or last week when we played against Manchester City—is there. I feel enthusiasm around the place, and that is exactly what I want.'
Arteta insisted that Myles Lewis-Skelly will remain at 'Arsenal' '100 percent' until the transfer window closes, despite the young versatile player having contacted Manchester United and Chelsea. Gabriel Martinelli and Ethan Nwaneri are reportedly interested in moves in search of more playing time. Nevertheless, Arteta prefers to keep a large squad to cope with the demands of participating in four competitions. He explained that he wants to have the largest possible squad because he knows what they are fighting for and how long it will last, recalling last year when difficulties arose due to injuries in one area, and stressed that players must feel important and valued, and for that, they need minutes.'
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