Manchester United’s summer recruitment plans have taken a blow as fierce rivals Manchester City close in on the £52million signing of Joao Cancelo from Juventus .
The Portugal international only arrived at the Italian giants from Valencia last summer, and had a season of two halves.
Cancelo enjoyed a blistering start to his debut season with Juve, impressing with a string of fine performances down the right flank.
His form dipped in the second half of the season, which led to reports that Massimiliano Allegri was keen to push him out the exit door this summer.
Despite Allegri now announcing his own exit at the end of the season, Cancelo still looks set to leave for pastures new this summer.
According to Portuguese outlet Record , Cancelo is closing in on a £52m switch to recently-crowned Premier League champions City.
The highly-rated defender, 24, mainly plays at right-back but can also occupy the wing-back position, and is known for his attacking intent.
Juve forked out around £35m on the defender and, although he made 34 appearances in all competitions, they are willing to wave goodbye for the right price.
And it seems City, who completed a memorable treble this season, have met their demands, beating city rivals United to the signing.
Red Devils boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is desperate to bolster his defensive options this summer following a miserable campaign.
Solskjaer has identified the right-back position as his priority, with Antonio Valencia departing and Ashley Young underwhelming in recent months.
