Manchester City have now named a price for Joao Cancelo as Barcelona debate whether to turn the Portugal international’s loan move into a permanent deal.
The information was provided by SPORT.
So, what is the latest on Joao Cancelo and Manchester City? Let’s take a look…
Joao Cancelo update
Well, the 29-year-old is currently enjoying himself on loan at Barcelona.
Cancelo has scored three goals and provided two assists in 21 appearances for the Spanish giants, after falling out with Pep Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium.
For those of you who are unaware of what happened, the Portuguese defender is said to have left the Spaniard shocked after reacting poorly to being dropped – as detailed by the Guardian.
Guardiola admitted he did not care where Cancelo ended up after being angered by the Barreiro-born defender, and even said he would have sanctioned a move to Manchester United.
A loan to Bayern Munich ensued in the second half of the 2022/23 campaign before this season’s stint at Barcelona, where Cancelo could stay if Xavi’s side submit a bid worth over €30m (£26m).
The story from SPORT states that Barcelona will find it difficult to spend this amount.
However, the Spanish news outlet add that Barcelona are tempted to push the boat out for Cancelo, as he has proved to be a fine solution to the club’s ongoing right-back problem.
Ideal situation for Manchester City
This is a pretty positive situation for Manchester City.
Barcelona seem willing to meet the asking price for Cancelo, and thanks to the emergence of Rico Lewis – who can play in defence and midfield – Txiki Begiristain does not even need to find a replacement.
The potential £26m fee can therefore be reinvested into whatever Guardiola pleases, or it could simply be banked to help with Financial Fair Play balances.
Even in the event that Barcelona fail to stump up the cash, Cancelo’s performances have been so impressive, that one leading European side would surely jump at the chance to sign him for around £26m – a bargain in this day and age.
Be sure to keep an eye on this situation, as anything could happen in 2024.
