FC Barcelona still have to address the right-back position, which is perhaps the only weak point in their squad. In this regard, the club has been associated with various players, but the strongest association has been with Manchester City’s Joao Cancelo.
However, the option of Cancelo has practically been ruled out at Barcelona because of its high economic demands. Barcelona were considering a loan for him, but the loan fee for a single season was still too high for the Catalans to pay it in their currently highly strained financial conditions.
With Barcelona no longer a strong contender for his signature, SPORT reports that Pep Guardiola would give him another chance in the pre-season. Guardiola already played him in the friendly against Yokohama Marinos, where the Portuguese recorded an assist.
Initially, Manchester City and the player were both aiming for a permanent exit in this summer, mainly because of the poor relationship between the City coach and Cancelo. Currently, Manchester City rule out sending him on loan unless a high fee is involved, something that can match the €5 million that Bayern Munich paid for a 6-month loan of the player.
Manchester City are currently unsure whether Cancelo can help them improve in the coming season, and are counting on him to show his quality in the pre-season to attract the attention of other suitors. Arsenal also remain interested in the player, as City want around €50 million for him.
However, if Manchester City are unable to get a good proposal for the player by the end of the summer transfer window, they might have to lower their valuation of the player. In such a case, Barcelona can again enter into negotiations to sign him. However, for now, the Catalans do not find it feasible to pay a high sum for a player who would still be owned by Manchester City.