It is more than evident that Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola does not want Joao Cancelo in his team. The Portuguese international will end his loan tenure with Bayern Munich at the end of the season and will return to Manchester before being offloaded to one of his suitors.
Given the full-back’s situation, he has been linked with a move to Barcelona but the operation is not really as smooth as it seems.
Although Barcelona are looking for options to strengthen the right-back area, SPORT reports that the Premier League championswould ask €40 million for his signature.
Interestingly enough, City bought Cancelo from Juventus €65 million, meaning that they are ready to bear a loss of €25 million. And for what it is worth, SPORT claims that Cancelo might just be the cheapest option on the market Barcelona could find in the summer.
Furthermore, although Barcelona are also exploring the possibility of getting him on loan, City have made it absolutely clear that the 28-year-old will only be transferred on a permanent deal.
All these events have coincided with Xavi’s preference to sign a right-back this summer. At the moment, the Blaugrana are exploring the possibility of acquiring Juan Foyth but so far, Barcelona have not had any luck in finding a middle ground with Villarreal, who are reluctant to let the Argentine leave.
Cancelo is on Barcelona’s list as well, but the fate of the Portuguese solely rests on what Manchester City wants. They are clear that there is absolutely no way they would sanction another loan for the 28-year-old.
Bayern Munich’s Benjamin Pavard is also on Barcelona’s agenda and has been there for quite some time. But the Bavarians want to keep hold of the defender especially since Cancelo will no longer be available.
Now, given the current state of finances, €40 million for Cancelo may seem a lot but note that Barcelona are on track to generate income through player sales and sponsors.
