Manchester City have reportedly received a boost in their hopes of landing Juventus full-back Andrea Cambiaso, as the Bianconeri have identified two ideal replacements for the Italian.
Pep Guardiola's side took an interest in signing Cambiaso during the January transfer window, as confirmed by his agent, but a transfer did not materialise over the winter months.
Juventus were believed to have slapped a £66.7m price tag on the head of the versatile defender, who was tipped to join the Citizens as Kyle Walker's long-term successor, but the Old Lady's asking price proved prohibitive.
Guardiola's full-back worries have been eased by the emergence of young star Nico O'Reilly, though, while Matheus Nunes and Rico Lewis are capable of covering on the right-hand side of the backline.
Nevertheless, the FA Cup finalists are expected to pursue a proper replacement for Walker this summer, and their hopes of striking a deal for Cambiaso could be aided by a Premier League rival.
Juventus to sign on-loan Arsenal man as Cambiaso replacement?
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According to reports in Italy - via The Sun - Juventus are looking to bring Arsenal left-back Nuno Tavares - currently on loan at Lazio - to the Allianz Stadium as Cambiaso's successor in the summer.
Tavares signed for Lazio on a temporary deal from the Gunners last summer, having ultimately failed to make the grade under Mikel Arteta following his arrival from Benfica in 2021.
Lazio are believed to have agreed to sign Tavares permanently for £5m once the season ends, and the report claims that the Rome outfit may immediately sell him again for a profit.
The Biancocelesti are supposedly after £34m to sell the Portuguese this summer, as Arsenal have a 40% sell-on clause, but if their demands prove excessive, Juventus have a backup in mind in the shape of Club Brugge's Maxim De Cuyper.
Tavares has recorded nine assists in 28 appearances for Lazio across all competitions in the 2024-25 campaign, although he has also been beset by frequent injury problems in the current season.
What will Cambiaso bring to Man City?
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A player who could hardly be more suited to the demands of a modern-day full-back, Cambiaso is comfortable on either side and has produced two goals and three assists in 39 games for Juventus in all competitions this term.
Standing out for his prowess on the ball and ability to make things happen in the final third, Cambiaso averages over three shot-creating actions per game, as well as 2.68 carries into the final third.
Further data from FBref shows that Cambiaso is consistently in the top 10% of full-backs in European leagues for passing metrics, including the top 2% for medium pass-completion percentage.
The Italy international would therefore seemingly do a job in the Trent Alexander-Arnold role at Liverpool, but if the Premier League champions are content with Conor Bradley, City could have a clear run at Cambiaso.
Ben Knapton
