The La Liga triumph last season was a monumental achievement for FC Barcelona. This was the club’s first major trophy after a break of some years, and also the first league title for Xavi Hernandez as Barcelona’s coach.
Most people would agree that the league was won on the back of the stellar defensive structure that Barcelona had implemented last season. The backline of Kounde, Araujo, Christensen, and Balde kept most opposition forwards at bay, and the Catalans’ defensive strength was what allowed them to win the league with some matches to spare.
However, the Catalans did not rest on their laurels and brought in even more defensive reinforcements during the last summer. Inigo Martinez was signed on a free transfer, while Joao Cancelo was obtained on a free loan from Manchester City.
The impact that Cancelo had in the first few appearances in a Barcelona shirt quickly convinced Xavi and the club about his quality and suitability for the squad.
The fullback is already one of the most played players at Barcelona this season, having started fourteen matches, in which he has scored two goals and given one assist.
As a result, Barcelona might start looking for ways to incorporate the Portuguese fullback into their squad on a permanent basis going forward.
The journalist Luis Rojo has provided the Catalans with an idea of how much money they will have to spend to get Cancelo on a permanent basis and claims that Manchester City will demand around €30 million for the fullback.
This valuation does not seem to be too high for a player who is one of the best in his position. However, keeping in view the financial situation at Barcelona, the Catalans will still have to try to get the asking price for the player as low as possible, keeping in view that Cancelo does not get along too well with Pep Guardiola.
