Saudi Pro League clubs Al-Ahli and Al-Ettifaq are reportedly willing to pay €25 million to sign Barcelona target Joao Cancelo from Manchester City this summer.
According to a report by Spanish outlet SPORT, Joao Cancelo is the subject of interest from FC Barcelona. However, the Catalan giants might not have the financial might to cough up €25 million to sign the Portuguese international. That might not be an issue for Saudi Pro League clubs, with Al-Ahli and Al-Ettifaq ready to meet Manchester City’s valuation in the summer transfer window.
The Joao Cancelo story
Joao Cancelo has been on unstable ground at Manchester City in the last 18 months. The 30-year-old had a run-in with Pep Guardiola, which has ended his career at the Etihad, even though he remains on the Premier League club’s books. He spent the second half of the 2022/23 season on loan at Bayern Munich before joining Barcelona on a season-long deal last summer.
The experienced full-back turned out 42 times for Barcelona in the 2023/24 season while chipping in with four goals and five assists. Cancelo’s impressive performances for the Blaugrana have compelled the Catalan outfit to seek another move for the out-of-favour Manchester City defender in the summer transfer window.
Widespread reports have claimed that Barcelona and Manchester City might sit at the negotiating table for Joao Cancelo’s services. However, the Catalan giants are struggling to meet Manchester City’s valuation, with the Premier League champions demanding around €25 million to part ways with him in the summer transfer window.
What next for Cancelo?
The Premier League champions prefer a permanent sale, which puts Barcelona in a spot of bother. Meanwhile, personal terms are not an issue for Barcelona, with Joao Cancelo keen on returning to the Catalan club in the summer transfer window. The latest update has revealed that two Saudi Pro League clubs are ready to cough up €25 million to sign the player this year.
Al-Ahli and Al-Ettifaq are willing to meet Manchester City’s valuation, with bids worth €25 million on the cards from the two Saudi Pro League clubs. This poses a problem for Barcelona amid the club’s struggles to balance the books.
So, it behoves the Catalan giants to keep their options open, with recent reports linking them with Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Emerson Royal, and Arnau Martinez, among others. It will be interesting to see if Barcelona can beat the two Saudi Pro League clubs to Joao Cancelo’s signature.
