Exclusive: Barcelona agree terms with Portugal star but Man United ace lined up as surprise Plan B transfer
Barcelona have agreed personal terms over a permanent transfer move for Manchester City full-back Joao Cancelo, but still need to reach an agreement with his club, CaughtOffside understands.
Cancelo just spent the season on loan at Barcelona, but it was announced yesterday that his loan spell at the Nou Camp had come to an end, as with on-loan Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix.
The Catalan giants are understood to be keen to keep Cancelo, however, and will attempt to negotiate a permanent transfer with Man City, though they also have alternatives in mind in case the deal doesn’t pan out.
Sources with a close understanding of the situation have informed CaughtOffside that Barca could also turn to Manchester United’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka as a surprise Plan B option, along with Tottenham’s Emerson Royal, and Girona’s Arnau Martinez.
Cancelo transfer: Saudi clubs monitoring situation as Barcelona move not a certainty
With nothing agreed yet between Barca and City, CaughtOffside understands that Saudi Pro League clubs Al Ahli and Al Ettifaq are also monitoring Cancelo’s situation this summer.
The 30-year-old could be an ideal target for Saudi teams, after having lured a number of big names to the country last summer, including others who were coming toward the end of their careers at the Etihad Stadium, such as Riyad Mahrez and Aymeric Laporte.
Cancelo is a top talent on his day and he’d surely be someone worth keeping for Barcelona, but it will be interesting to see if they can afford him as they have well-noted Financial Fair Play issues.
Saudi clubs would likely find it easier to pay what City want for Cancelo, while they could also offer him huge wages.
Wan-Bissaka, however, would be an intriguing alternative signing for Barcelona as he’s not exactly the kind of player who looks like he’d be the best fit for the La Liga giants after a fairly indifferent Man Utd career.
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