Joao Cancelo of Manchester City is an option that Barcelona have on their radars to reinforce the right-back slot this summer.
However, signing the Portuguese international is not easy for the La Liga champions owing to their financial situation. As such, a potential loan move had been considered for the 29-year-old, but such an operation appears unlikely.
Indeed, as per SPORT, Manchester City are not contemplating the possibility of sending Cancelo out on loan this summer and would prefer a permanent exit for the versatile full-back.
And, the Premier League and European champions hope to receive close to €50 million for the defender’s services, making it nearly impossible for Barcelona to sign him.
Cancelo had a falling out with manager Pep Guardiola last season, following which he was loaned out to Bayern Munich in January.
The German giants had to pay a loan fee in excess of €5 million and cover his full wages for a six-month period. They had an option to make the transfer permanent for €70 million but decided against doing so.
Now back at Man City, Cancelo featured in their pre-season friendly against Yokohama F. Marinos and even registered an assist. As such, it is not completely ruled out that he ends up continuing at the Etihad Stadium.
However, as things stand, the Cityzens prefer to sell him for around €50 million and will not look to loan him out, unless they receive a relatively high loan fee.
In either scenario, Barcelona are unlikely to stand a chance of signing Cancelo. A loan operation for the Portuguese ace, including a fee and his wages, could come up to around €20 million and they would have the player for just one season.
As such, Cancelo’s name has been ‘almost ruled out’ at Barcelona, although there is some hope that if his situation remains unresolved until late in the summer, they might be able to sign him in a discounted operation.
