La Liga heavyweights Barcelona are reportedly mulling over signing Portuguese defender Joao Cancelo, whose market value is €70 million.
According to a report by Spanish outlet SPORT, Joao Cancelo is the subject of interest from Barcelona. The Catalan giants are contemplating signing the Portuguese defender in the summer transfer window. And the player, whose market value is €70 million, might soon leave Manchester City.
Joao Cancelo has seen his stock skyrocket since leaving Valencia in July 2018. Since then, the 28-year-old has played for three European bigwigs. His best spell came at Manchester City as he made his mark under Pep Guardiola. But after dropping in the pecking order after the World Cup, he joined Bayern Munich on loan in January.
The Portuguese defender has turned out seven times thus far for Bayern Munich, chipping in with three assists. But he has dropped to the bench in recent games, suggesting all might not be well at the Allianz Arena. Meanwhile, Cancelo’s situation has captured the attention of Barcelona.
Joan Laporta has already asserted that Barcelona will look to sign a right-back in the summer transfer window. That is because Xavi Hernandez does not have a reliable right-back at his disposal. Such a situation has forced the Barcelona manager to use Jules Kounde in the position this season.
With Hector Bellerin departing from Spotify Camp Nou and Sergi Roberto approaching the final phase of his career, Barcelona will need a long-term right-back solution. So even though they have signed Julian Araujo, the Blaugrana will need to delve into the market. And Cancelo, who was on offer for Barcelona in January, is a viable target.
But Barcelona might not have the resources to secure the services of the Portuguese defender. Considering his market value is €70 million, Manchester City will demand a premium for Cancelo. The purchase clause in Bayern Munich’s loan deal is also worth €70 million. But Die Roten might not shell out such a sum for the player.
Barcelona will unlikely cough up anything close to €70 million either. So the Catalan giants might have to set their sights elsewhere. But other right-backs like Diogo Dalot are also on their radar. And it will be interesting to see who joins Barcelona in the summer transfer window.
