Barcelona will soon formally complete the deal to sign 29-year-old Portuguese international Joao Cancelo on loan from Manchester City.
According to reputed Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, Joao Cancelo is on the cusp of joining FC Barcelona. The Blaugrana and Manchester City have an agreement over a loan move for the 29-year-old. And the deal will also include a purchase option that Barcelona can trigger next summer.
Joao Cancelo had reached a crossroads in his career after returning from his loan stint with Bayern Munich. The Portuguese international won the Bundesliga title with the Bavarian giants and was decent in his outings at the club. However, they did not sign him permanently, with the purchase option being too expensive.
Now back at Manchester City, the 29-year-old featured during the pre-season campaign. And it seemed Pep Guardiola might give him a second chance, despite their run-ins last season. But Cancelo has not managed a single minute of action thus far this term, putting his future in doubt.
However, despite the uncertainties surrounding Cancelo’s Manchester City future, he had no shortage of prospective suitors. And Barcelona quickly became the front-runner to sign him from the Premier League club. In addition, the player was also keen on joining Barcelona and ending his Manchester City horrors.
João Cancelo to Barcelona, here we go! Manchester City and Barça are finally exchanging documents right now to get the deal signed today 🚨🔵🔴 #FCB
João, prepared to travel to Barcelona tonight.
Loan deal with buy option clause included.
…it was just matter of time. 🇵🇹 pic.twitter.com/86HuwlwxLd
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 28, 2023
Personal terms were never an issue for either party, and only the terms of a possible agreement with Manchester City remained the issue. But Barcelona and Manchester City now have a consensus on the loan deal for the 29-year-old. The Portuguese international travelled to Barcelona on Monday night for his medical.
Cancelo can potentially solve a long-standing issue in the Barcelona first team. The Catalan giants have been desperately scouring the market for a top-notch right-back since Dani Alves’s first stint with the club ended. And the Manchester City outcast should be the solution they have been seeking.
Meanwhile, Barcelona’s loan agreement with Manchester City also includes a purchase option they can activate next summer. And it will be interesting to see how the 29-year-old fares at the Catalan club in the 2023/24 season as he looks to resurrect his career.