Barcelona will likely rule out a summer move for Manchester City defender Joao Cancelo, as he is too expensive for them.
According to a report by Spanish outlet SPORT, Joao Cancelo remains the subject of interest from Barcelona. But the Blaugrana cannot afford to secure the services of the 29-year-old. With the loan fee and wages costing a combined €20 million, Barcelona will not manage to land the Manchester City defender.
Joao Cancelo may be one of the best full-backs in the world. But that does not necessarily mean he will be a pivotal figure for one of the best clubs in the world. That is because the Portuguese international had a run-in with Pep Guardiola towards the end of 2022. So the Manchester City boss duly sanctioned his loan departure in January, with Bayern Munich signing him.
The 29-year-old turned out 21 times for Bayern Munich while chipping in with one goal and six assists. But the Bundesliga champions did not exercise the option to secure Cancelo’s services permanently. So he has returned to Manchester City in the off-season, with his future extremely uncertain. And the player is a target for several clubs, including Barcelona.
The Premier League-winning defender has been on Barcelona’s radar for a long time. And they recently made the first approach to secure Cancelo’s services in the ongoing transfer window. But the player might be too expensive for Barcelona amid the never-ending financial duress.
The report claims it will cost Barcelona a combined €20 million in wages and loan fee to land the 29-year-old. That is beyond the Catalan club’s budget for a right-back. So low-cost candidates like Pablo Maffeo and Ivan Fresneda might be the ideal go-to options for Barcelona to bolster the right-back arsenal.
Meanwhile, the report claims Barcelona will prefer to sign a right-back permanently this summer instead of opting for a loan deal. Nonetheless, the 29-year-old Premier League-winning defender could have been the much-sought solution to the long-running issue at the club.
It will be interesting to see who becomes the top target for Barcelona to bolster the right-back slot. But it seems unlikely that Cancelo will arrive at the Catalan club on loan in the ongoing transfer window.
