The nature of competitiveness at FC Barcelona compels both the technical sector and the management to achieve for greater things by ensuring arrivals of the highest caliber within the club, and it seems that the Catalan giants may well be approaching their goal.
Xavi Hernandez has been both implicitly and explicitly clear about needing to reinforce the current Barcelona team with an addition on the right-back position being considered an absolute necessity for this team going forward.
As such, several targets were shortlisted for this summer window but it appears that the priority target, 29-year-old Manchester City fullback Joao Cancelo, will be the one to make his arrival be known under the tutelage of Xavi Hernandez at FC Barcelona.
According to a report from Diario AS, Barcelona are extremely close to finalizing the agreement that would see the 29-year-old fullback make his way to Spain in a deal that will start off as a loan operation with an option to buy applied to it.
It is no secret that Cancelo’s unique capabilities and talents have attracted the interest of those at FC Barcelona and his arrival, albeit stalled for a while at one point, was considered to be the absolute priority for the Catalans given both his world-class talent as well as his unfavorable scenario at Manchester City.
The fullback remains unwanted by the English side and was even sent out on loan last season to German Bundesliga side Bayern Munich. His quality remains undoubted, but complications began to arise regarding his temperament and conduct with his coach while leading to him becoming more of an asset on the bench rather than as a starter at Manchester City.
Barcelona, hoping to take advantage of his current situation, have entered the picture and while the operation is still not completely closed, other reports state that with the confirmed departures and additional injection of funds courtesy of the ‘lever’ that Barcelona has managed to activate, the Cancelo operation is now as likely to occur as it has ever been.
