Barcelona 'agree permanent deal with Manchester City for Joao Cancelo'

Barcelona have reportedly come to an agreement with Manchester City over a permanent deal for Joao Cancelo.

The 29-year-old moved to Camp Nou on loan from Man City in the closing stages of the summer transfer window, and he has represented the Catalan outfit on five occasions this term, scoring twice and providing one assist.

As it stands, Cancelo will return to the Etihad Stadium next year, and he has a contract with the treble winners until the summer of 2027.

However, the right-back is unlikely to represent Man City again due to the breakdown of his relationship with Citizens head coach Pep Guardiola.

Cancelo recently said that he was only focusing on his performances for Barcelona when asked about a permanent move to Camp Nou during next summer's transfer window.

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However, Barcelona's new director of football Deco has said that the club are open to bringing in the Portugal international on a long-term basis in June 2024.

According to El Chiringuito, an agreement has been reached for Xavi's side to sign Cancelo next summer for a fee of €35m (£30.3m).

The Portuguese spent the second half of last season on loan at Bayern Munich, making 21 appearances for the German side, scoring once and providing six assists.

However, the Bundesliga champions turned down the chance to sign him on a permanent basis, which led to the defender returning to Manchester for pre-season training.

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A move for Barcelona was seen as touch-and-go due to the club's financial issues, but they managed to sign him on loan before the transfer window closed.

Cancelo has been an important part of Man City's success in recent years, making 154 appearances for the club, scoring nine goals and registering 22 assists in the process.

The Portuguese has become Barcelona's first-choice right-back upon his arrival at Camp Nou, and he has found the back of the net in the recent wins over Real Betis and Celta Vigo.

Cancelo is again expected to be in the starting side for Friday's La Liga clash with Sevilla, where Barcelona will be looking to return to winning ways following a 2-2 draw with Mallorca last time out.