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• Preferred choice of Barcelona’s head coach Xavi Hernandez.
• Cancelo left Manchester City in January 2023.
• Cancelo’s arrival strengthens Barcelona’s full-back options and attacking lineup.

FC Barcelona is reportedly in discussions with Manchester City to secure the permanent transfer of Portuguese fullback Joao Cancelo, as stated by Talk Sport on Wednesday. The 29-year-old is the preferred choice of Barcelona’s head coach, Xavi Hernandez, who lacks a natural right-back in his squad and has been forced to use center-backs Jules Kounde or Ronald Araujo in that position. Talks for the right-back have already begun, according to sources.

Joao Cancelo fell out of favor with Manchester City’s coach, Pep Guardiola, leading to his departure from the club in January 2023. After leaving City, he joined Bayern Munich and later returned to the English club. During his time at Bayern, he contributed to their success, helping them win their 11th consecutive Bundesliga title after featuring in 21 games for the team.

With the departure of Ousmane Dembele, who is set to bring in €50 million for Barcelona, Xavi confirmed that the Catalan club intends to utilize the funds to secure a pure right-back. Joao Cancelo’s signing would fulfill this requirement for the team.

Cancelo’s initial transfer to Manchester City from Juventus was for a significant fee of €65 million, as he was highly sought after by Pep Guardiola. However, his playing time at City was limited, leading to a training ground dispute with Guardiola when he discovered he wasn’t part of the starting lineup for City’s FA Cup match against Arsenal in January. This incident did not sit well with Guardiola or City’s board, resulting in Cancelo being placed on the transfer market.

With Joao Cancelo joining, Barcelona will have a strong pair of full-backs, with Alejandro Balde on the left flank and Ferran Torres on the right. Alongside Raphinha on the right wing, Cancelo’s arrival would further strengthen their attacking options. With players like Robert Lewandowski in the center and a formidable midfield consisting of Frenkie de Jong, Ilkay Gundogan, and Pedri, Barcelona aims to compete for both the league title and the Champions League.

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