Manchester City and Barcelona have a track record of engaging in business together, and it seems they are close to completing yet another transaction.
According to Spanish reports, Manchester City and Barcelona have reportedly come to a verbal agreement regarding a transfer deal. These clubs have a history of conducting several transfers in recent years, with notable instances like Ilkay Gundogan’s free transfer to Barcelona after his Manchester City contract expired.
Conversely, Barcelona has acquired players such as Eric Garcia and Ferran Torres from Manchester City. There appears to be a shift in dynamics, with Barcelona’s current manager, Xavi, striving to emulate the dominant positional style associated with his mentor, Pep Guardiola, at Manchester City.
The latest update from El Chiringuito TV via TeamTALK indicates that Barcelona has agreed to a €35 million transfer deal for Joao Cancelo. The Portuguese player has had a promising start at Barcelona, scoring two goals in his first five appearances while playing in his preferred right-back position. This is a departure from his previous role as an inverted left-back during his Manchester City tenure.
Cancelo had a falling out with Guardiola last season and was loaned to Bayern Munich in January during Manchester City’s pursuit of a treble. He returned to Manchester when the two clubs met in the Champions League quarter-finals, where he faced some criticism from City fans.
How on earth did Gavi see this pass?
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) September 23, 2023
What an assist to Cancelo for the winner 🤯 pic.twitter.com/4QbBkByjRu
The reported fee of around £30 million represents a significant drop in value compared to what Manchester City initially paid Juventus for Cancelo’s signature in 2019, making him the most expensive right-back at the time. However, this record was later surpassed by Achraf Hakimi.
Manchester City partially offset this expense by selling Brazilian defender Danilo to Juventus in the opposite direction during the same transfer window, recouping around €37 million. The strong relationship between Barcelona and Manchester City is believed to have played a role in reducing the transfer fee, given Barcelona’s ongoing financial challenges.
Additionally, Barcelona has Joao Felix, Cancelo’s international teammate, on loan from Atletico Madrid, with the intention of securing a permanent deal next summer. It’s worth noting that Transfermarkt values Cancelo at €50 million.
Here are some more updates concerning Manchester City:
- Rodri has recently called for action to prevent further European football talent from moving to Saudi Arabia.
- Manchester City kicked off their Champions League title defense with a win this week. However, manager Pep Guardiola voiced his apprehensions, indicating that the team, which won a treble last season, is encountering challenges.
- Speculation is circulating that midfielder Bernardo Silva might leave Manchester City for a discounted £50 million fee due to the activation of a unique release clause.
ALSO READ:
- Could Manchester City really accomplish the quadruple?
- Salah’s Goal Lifts Liverpool Over Brentford, Extends Lead
- Messi’s Late Goal Saves Miami, Securing Draw vs LA Galaxy
