Although the financial situation of FC Barcelona makes their future at the Catalan club highly uncertain, two players who arrived at the club in the last summer transfer window, Joao Felix and Joao Cancelo, have gone on to become highly important players for Xavi.
This is particularly true for Cancelo, whose impact has been particularly profound, having seamlessly integrated into Xavi’s plans and securing a permanent spot in the starting lineup since his arrival.
Barcelona officials have also frequently publicly stated their intentions to keep the fullback beyond the current season, but there is a lot of uncertainty about his future, especially as Manchester City also do not want him in their squad.
As Mundo Deportivo has reported, the defender himself admitted his uncertain future as he appeared in an interview with an Italian newspaper: “I still don’t know what my future will be, but I want to continue at Barça. I grew up with Ronaldinho as my idol, and I’m proud to wear the Barça shirt.”
The Portuguese international also highlighted the difficulties that Barcelona have had to face this last year:
“It hasn’t been an easy year. Barcelona is a very particular club. The coach announced his departure, the team has had ups and downs throughout the season, a difficult dynamic to explain, but football always gives you the chance to redeem yourself, and a victory against Napoli would be a statement.”
“In football, there are good moments and not-so-good moments, just like in life, and we must remain positive and united.”
Lastly, Cancelo also confessed his fondness for his upcoming rivals in the Champions League and commented on the upcoming match:
“I’ve always liked Napoli because of Maradona and because it’s a neighborhood team, popular, with deep roots in the city. We had a great first half, and we should have scored more. We were superior; they did little, but now we start on equal terms.”
Thus, it is clear from his comments that despite the uncertainty surrounding his future at Barcelona, he feels like a part of the group and will be highly charged to help his team get to the next round of the premier European competition.
