Joao Cancelo has reportedly contacted Barcelona to urge them to ramp up the talks to sign him from Manchester City in the summer transfer window.
According to a report by Spanish outlet SPORT, Joao Cancelo is the subject of interest from Barcelona. The 30-year-old does not have a future at Manchester City and has asked the Catalan outfit to speed up the talks to sign him in the summer transfer window, with negotiations between the two clubs reaching a standstill.
Joao Cancelo at a crossroads in his career
Joao Cancelo has been at a crossroads in his career for the last 18 months. The Portuguese international had a run-in with Pep Guardiola after returning from the 2022 FIFA World Cup. That incident means he played his final game for Manchester City, which was nearly two years ago.
The 30-year-old was solid for Bayern Munich in the second half of the 2022/23 season. However, the Bundesliga champions did not launch the offensive to complete a permanent move for Cancelo last summer. Instead, Barcelona rescued the player from anonymity, completing a season-long loan deal on Deadline Day.
The former Juventus full-back enjoyed a solid 2023/24 campaign with Barcelona, chipping in with four goals and five assists in 42 appearances across all competitions. However, Joao Cancelo’s loan stint has ended, and he has returned to Manchester City, waiting for Barcelona to secure his services again before the summer transfer window shuts down.
Will Cancelo return to Barcelona?
Barcelona’s continued interest in Joao Cancelo makes sense. The Portuguese international projected himself as the long-sought, long-term right-back solution for the Blaugrana in his exceptional 2023/24 campaign at the club. With Julian Araujo not ready to feature for the first team yet, Barcelona must delve into the market for a right-back.
So, the Catalan giants recently intensified their efforts to secure Joao Cancelo’s services. However, the latest update has revealed that talks between Barcelona and Manchester City have stalled. That has left Cancelo worried, and he has asked Barcelona to speed up the negotiations with the Premier League champions.
While recent reports suggested Barcelona would complete a loan-to-buy deal for the 30-year-old, they are no closer to landing him. It will be interesting to see if the talks between the Blaugrana and Manchester City resume after Cancelo’s interference.
