Manchester City eye €30 million sale of full-back with transfer collision course pending for summer window | OneFootball

A collision course is in process concerning the transfer plans of both Manchester City and FC Barcelona concerning Joao Cancelo ahead of the summer market.

The Portuguese international has been excluded from Manchester City’s first-team squad for well over a year now, despite a brief return for pre-season duties ahead of the ongoing 2023/24 season last summer.

Having initially left the club for Bayern Munich on a six-month loan deal in the January window of 2023, Cancelo was then sent on a season-long temporary deal to La Liga giants FC Barcelona, who are expected to be unable to fund a permanent move.

Despite that initial understanding, Manchester City remain intent on selling Cancelo this summer, with Pep Guardiola holding no intention to bring the versatile Portugal international back into his set-up.

According to the information of Sport, as translated and relayed by Sport Witness, while Barcelona would like to continue working with Joao Cancelo beyond the end of this season, the La Liga side only want another loan deal and not a permanent agreement.

Unfortunately for Manchester City, the report claims that the Premier League champions were eyeing a €30 million sale to Barcelona or anyone else. However, should Cancelo refuse to negotiate with any party other than the Catalan club, City could find themselves stuck.

In the background, it is made clear that agent Jorge Mendes is working on the matter and trying to manoeuvre so that City will agree to another loan deal, rather than being forced into it through Cancelo’s firm stance.

Pep Guardiola was recently quizzed on the future of Joao Cancelo and whether there was any possibility of an Etihad Stadium return, to which the Catalan coach stated briefly that the matter would be addressed at the end of the ongoing season.

Cancelo himself has also recently spoken out on claims of a disagreement between himself and Manchester City boss Guardiola, as he admitted, “There are things we didn’t agree on… I had things I didn’t agree on or he didn’t agree with something I said, it was just that.

“But I don’t have resentment, I am very grateful. Life goes on, I am very, very happy here (at FC Barcelona)… Mister Guardiola is much more powerful than me when he says something and I prefer to keep it to myself.

“I prefer to know that I am telling the truth, I feel fulfilled with what I did. I am a transparent person, I never lie.”

It remains to be seen whether any other clubs could explore a deal for Joao Cancelo this summer, with Saudi Arabia known to be admirers of his talents having made enquiries during the last summer market.