Barcelona Reopens Talks with Man City for Joao Cancelo’s Signing
Reports indicate that Barcelona has reinitiated negotiations with Manchester City to acquire Joao Cancelo, a 29-year-old defender. Uncertainty surrounds Cancelo’s future at the Premier League champions, as he spent the latter part of the previous season on loan at Bayern Munich due to a falling out with Pep Guardiola.
Earlier this year, Mail Sport revealed that Cancelo had a heated confrontation with Guardiola during training, leading to his unexpected departure from the club. Now, there are indications that he might be leaving Etihad Stadium once again. According to Fabrizio Romano, an Italian journalist, Barcelona is actively communicating with both City and Cancelo’s representatives.
Xavi’s team considers Cancelo a top priority for recruitment, as his contract with Manchester City expires in 2027. Negotiations are set to continue in the upcoming days, with the hope of securing the player’s transfer to Catalonia.
The Portugal international participated in pre-season matches for City but was excluded from the squad during the Premier League’s opening match. Barcelona has expressed interest in signing Cancelo for a while, even exploring a season-long loan option back in May, as reported by Mail Sport.
In August, discussions between the two clubs resurfaced, despite Guardiola dismissing earlier claims from Xavi that he had hindered Cancelo’s potential move to the Spanish giants in January. Cancelo initially joined Manchester City in 2019 for £27.4 million. However, during the last season, he played a pivotal role for Bayern Munich, contributing to their Bundesliga title win.
Cancelo’s departure from City was attributed to factors unrelated to his relationship with Guardiola. Interestingly, Bayern Munich declined to exercise a £62 million option to secure his permanent transfer. Despite featuring in three pre-season friendlies for Man City this summer, Cancelo was omitted from the squad during Friday’s Premier League victory over Burnley.
