It is no secret that Joao Cancelo is one of the best players in the world in his position. The Portuguese star has proven his ability at both full-back positions year after year and has proven to be a versatile option.
But a falling out with Pep Guardiola means that Manchester City are desperate to sell the player. They loaned the right-back to Bayern Munich in January and are now looking for a permanent means to get him off their squad this summer.
The fallout between Manchester City and Cancelo is said to be linked to the player’s disciplinary record and poor relationship with the manager, which is the driving force behind his departure.
As revealed by SPORT, however, the Manchester City manager continues to be coy with his stance on Cancelo. It is well known that he does not count on the defender, but he still refused to comment on his departure when asked about it in a recent interview.
“Joao Cancelo is still with us, and right now I don’t know what’s going to happen, I don’t know,” he said, not giving anything away.
How close is Cancelo to signing for Barcelona?
Barcelona have a complete agreement with Cancelo and his arrival is said to be only one step away. All that remains is to finalise the finances involved and clear space on the Financial Fair Play front.
Joan Laporta & co. are in talks with Manchester City over the value of the purchase clause on Cancelo’s contract. That clause, however, will not be mandatory and would be linked with the player meeting certain parameters.
The Catalans are in a hurry to close the deal, especially after the injury to Ronald Araujo. Xavi Hernandez’s side needs a quality full-back at the earliest, and it could be the final piece of the manager’s promising puzzle.
