Barcelona duo Joao Felix and Joao Cancelo
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has confirmed that he intends to speak with Manchester City about the long-term future of Joao Cancelo.
The dynamic full-back has established himself as a key player for the LaLiga giants, starting all but one of the games he has been available for.
Cancelo has made 17 appearances in all competitions for Barcelona this season, scoring three goals and making two assists in the process.
The Portugal international joined Barcelona on a season-long loan in the summer after reportedly falling out with Man City boss Pep Guardiola. This came after he spent the second half of the previous campaign with Bayern Munich
It came as a shock when he first left Man City, as he has played a key role in their success in recent years.
He joined Man City from Juventus in 2018. He has made 154 appearances for the Cityzens, scoring nine goals and making 22 assists.
In the process, Cancelo helped Man City to win three Premier League titles, an FA Cup and two League Cups.
It now seems, however, that he could remain at Barcelona for the foreseeable future.
READ MORE: Guardiola on red alert with star gunning for Man City return after establishing himself as ‘one of the best’
Laporta desperate to keep Cancelo at Barca
In a recent interview, Laporta confirmed that Barcelona are interested on keeping Cancelo – whether as a permanent signing, or on another loan deal.
Laporta also revealed that he wants former Chelsea man Joao Felix – who is on loan at the Camp Nou from Atletico Madrid – to stay at Barcelona too.
“Of course we are interested in keeping the Joaos at Barca,” Laporta said, as per Asharq Al-Awsat.
“We plan to face these negotiations in a short period of time because, you know, Deco is planning the best way to negotiate.
“And as you know, Atletico Madrid and Manchester City are two clubs with which we have a nice relationship.”
Barcelona do not have a lot of money to spend due to their ongoing financial issues, so they will hope that their ‘nice relationship’ with Man City will help them secure a beneficial deal for Cancelo.
He is under contract with Man City until 2027. It’s thought that Guardiola would prefer to sell him permanently next summer rather than loaning him out for a third time.
With that in mind, it will be interesting to see how much Barcelona offer for the Portuguese star at the end of the season.
DON’T MISS: Game over for Man City star after brutal Guardiola put-down; Tottenham, Newcastle ready to pounce
