MX23RW : Monday, November 4 16:37:15| >> :60:1612:1612:

Xavi confirms Barcelona interest in Joao Cancelo

Xavi confirms Barcelona interest in Joao Cancelo
© Reuters
Barcelona boss Xavi says that his club wanted to sign Joao Cancelo on loan from Manchester City in January.

Barcelona head coach Xavi has revealed that his club wanted to sign Joao Cancelo on loan from Manchester City during the January transfer window.

The 28-year-old was allowed to leave the Citizens in the middle of the 2022-23 campaign, with Bayern Munich acquiring him until the end of the season.

Cancelo featured on 21 occasions for the Bundesliga champions, scoring once and providing six assists, but he is not expected to move to Allianz Arena on a permanent basis.

There also does not appear to be a future for the Portugal international at Man City under Pep Guardiola, with the two individuals believed to have fallen out earlier this season.

Barcelona continue to be heavily linked with Cancelo, as the club are keen to bring in a specialist right-back during this summer's transfer window.

Bayern Munich's Joao Cancelo in action on February 2, 2023© Reuters

Xavi has now confirmed his club's interest in the defender, revealing that Barcelona wanted to sign him on loan in January, only for Man City to pull the plug on a deal.

"We wanted Joao Cancelo at Barca in January, he was offered and we said yes. Man City discussed that internally and then told us they did not want to allow Joao to join Barcelona," Xavi told TV3.

A recent report claimed that Man City would be looking for around €40m (£35m) for his signature this summer, while there have also been suggestions that a loan move to Camp Nou could be agreed, providing that there is a purchase option included in the deal.

Cancelo has played on 154 occasions for Man City since making the move to the Etihad Stadium from Juventus, scoring nine goals and registering 22 assists in the process.

Joao Cancelo celebrates scoring for Manchester City on October 8, 2022© Reuters

The full-back has had a successful career in terms of silverware, winning the Primeira Liga with Benfica, Serie A and Italian Super Cup with Juventus, in addition to three Premier League titles and one EFL Cup with Man City.

Cancelo also helped Bayern secure this season's Bundesliga title, with the club just finishing ahead of Borussia Dortmund following an incredible final day of action in Germany's top flight.

Barcelona do not currently have a specialist right-back in their squad, with Jules Kounde largely operating in that position this term, but he was signed as a central defender.

The Catalan outfit will again be restricted in terms of their summer business due to their ongoing financial problems, but they have managed to remove two huge salaries from their wage budget, with Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba both leaving later this month.

ID:515288:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect4401:

Click here for more stories about Xavi

Click here for more stories about Manchester City

Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
Bayern Munich's Joao Cancelo in action on February 11, 2023
Read Next:
Man City 'willing to sell Joao Cancelo for £35m this summer'
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free match previews newsletter! Updates are sent twice a week.
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool108111961325
2Manchester CityMan City1072121111023
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest10541147719
4Chelsea105322012818
5Arsenal105321711618
6Aston Villa105321715218
7Tottenham HotspurSpurs1051422111116
8Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton104421714316
9Bournemouth104331312115
10Newcastle UnitedNewcastle104331010015
11Brentford94141818013
12Fulham93331212012
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd10334912-312
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham103251319-611
15Leicester CityLeicester102441418-410
16Everton102351017-79
17Crystal Palace10145813-57
18Ipswich TownIpswich100551021-115
19Southampton10118719-124
20Wolverhampton WanderersWolves100371427-133


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!