The FC Barcelona could be missing out on a new opportunity to strengthen their squad for the recently started 2024/25 season. This time, the name in question would be that of Portuguese right-back João Cancelo, an option apparently sought after by the Culés to bolster both flanks with a player who, in his prime, is arguably one of the best in the world, at least in terms of attacking prowess.
However, this possibility seems to be slipping away more and more. Why? Due to the differing stances between the player's current club, Manchester City, and the Barcelona team. While the 'Sky Blues' are hoping to offload the player through a transfer, the Catalan side was, at most, looking to add the full-back to their squad through a loan agreement.
The new club allegedly 'snatching' João Cancelo from FC Barcelona
Now, FC Barcelona's interest seems to have gained an extra layer of complexity, as reported by 'City Report', Manchester City would have reached an agreement with an Arab club, Al-Hilal, to sell the full-back this summer, valuing the deal at around €35m. This amount, on the other hand, was likely out of reach for the Barcelona team, who, although have players like İlkay Gündoğan, Mika Faye, Vitor Roque and even Andreas Christensen on the departure list, they still cannot make big investments, like the one they made for Dani Olmo.
Also, if they were able to do so, it appears that they would opt to sign a left winger, a position that requires a top asset, rather than focusing on the right-back position, where Barça has several options to reinforce. Jules Koundé is the main player in that role, with players like Héctor Fort and even Álex Valle behind him, showing they can perform well in that area of the field.
Furthermore, regarding Cancelo's move to Al-Hilal, the agreement between the clubs is mentioned throughout, but there is no information provided about the offer that 'Al-Za'eem' might have extended to the player and whether he would have accepted it. However, as reported by journalist Fabrizio Romano, João could consider joining the Arab team, as it is an explicit request from Jorge Jesus, who has known the Portuguese since he made his debut in the Portuguese Primeira Liga with SL Benfica back in 2014. Therefore, he might choose to join a successful sports project that includes names like Neymar Jr., Aleksandar Mitrović, Sergej Milinković-Savić, Rubén Neves, Malcom, among others, and continues to have serious intentions of adding more star players.