Hansi Flick was recently announced as the new head coach of Barcelona and he wants to keep Joao Cancelo after his loan from Manchester City, but a new report has stated a deal could be difficult for him to do.
Joao Cancelo spent the whole of 2023/24 with the Spanish giants, making 42 appearances under Xavi Hernandez.
He was counted on a lot by the legendary former midfielder – only Ilkay Gundogan, Jules Kounde and Robert Lewandowski played more minutes than he did.
There is going to be plenty of speculation surrounding Cancelo again this summer, given the situation has not changed for him back at City.
It remains to be seen which club he joins. But Barca want him back despite Flick replacing Xavi, but it sounds like it could be a tricky deal to do…
Barcelona want to pay ‘well below’ Manchester City’s asking price for Joao Cancelo
Having seen their bitter rivals lift the Champions League trophy on Saturday night, Barcelona are keen to have a strong summer so they can bridge the gap.
The issue for them is that they still have financial issues, which will make signing new players problematic.
Mundo Deportivo have produced an interesting report this morning about their current stance on Joao Cancelo.
Flick has only just come in, but he shares the desire of the board to keep Cancelo, and also Joao Felix, permanently. The 30-year-old is also on record as saying that he would like to stay put.
But whether his wish will be granted this summer is another thing entirely.
Mundo say that Barcelona want to pay ‘well below’ City’s current asking price of £21 million to sign the player permanently. They will therefore attempt to land him on loan again.
It is stated that Cancelo – who was recently named in La Liga Team of the Season – does not want to return to Manchester City, and also does not favour a move to Saudi Arabia.
Man City should aim to sell Cancelo, not loan him
Loaning Cancelo out again doesn’t really do anything for City, but the club are in a tricky situation with the player.
He seemingly does not have a future at the Etihad Stadium while Pep Guardiola is in charge, with the pair having famously fallen out.
The issue will Cancelo’s very high wages, thought to be around £250,000 per week. A lot of clubs could afford City’s supposed £21 million asking price, but the wages are likely to be a sticking point for many, should the player refuse to lower his own demands.
And then there is the issue of Cancelo being keen to join Barca, a club who are likely to have difficulty affording his permanent transfer.
Quite possibly, this one could rumble on all summer. It would be no surprise if Cancelo dug his heels in and waited for City to lower their demands in order to bring his permanent move to Barcelona to fruition