Following their return to the top of La Liga last year, Barcelona have been looking to complete moves that can bolster their squad without breaking their already thin financial line. They are now close to completing another one of those moves, as journalist Fabrizio Romano has tweeted that the Catalan club are close to signing Joao Cancelo from Manchester City.
Personal terms between the Portuguese defender and the Spanish side have already been agreed to, as Barcelona coach Xavi has wanted the player at the Camp Nou since January. Negotiations with City over how the deal will be structured are currently ongoing. Barca had revealed a plan on Sunday that, assuming a deal to sell Ousmane Dembele was completed, funds from that sale could be used on Cancelo.
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Once a stalwart of Spanish coach Pep Guardiola’s lineup, Cancelo has since fallen out of favor, and a second-half season loan to Bayern Munich last year was another tip that his time at the Etihad was going to remain limited. Still able of providing the team he plays with some quality, Cancelo was an easy target for Barcelona.
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Ronald Araujo and Abde Ezzalzouli are the two current right-backs, or acting right-backs, for Barcelona. With no disrespect to their level of play and their own respective skills, the addition of the Portuguese player would be a significant upgrade to the team who is looking to compete for the Champions League title once again.
The good news for both Araujo and Ezzalzouli is that they can both play positions outside of right-back. Ezzalzouli has lined up as a winger, and Araujo can play centrally when needed. What Cancelo can do is anchor down the right side of the defense and offer an experienced style of play that Araujo could learn from for the next couple of seasons.
Cancelo Can Offer A Few Remaining Years
Once a player reaches the age of 29, they know that there are a limited amount of prime years left in their career. Cancelo, being of that age, will look to get the most out of them. Already a champion of England, Germany, Italy, and Portugal, as well as a Nations League title with Portugal, the roaming right-back/wing-back looks to add Spain to that list.
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Having already tried his luck in Spain with Valencia a few years back, this time around the player has perfected his skills and will be part of a deadly squad. If the expected deal is completed, and as soon as the two sides are able, adding Cancelo could be exactly what Xavi needs to make Barcelona this year’s treble contenders.
