'I really like being at Barça': Joao Cancelo confirms desire to stay at Barcelona as Man City exit accelerates
'I really like being at Barça': Joao Cancelo confirms desire to stay at Barcelona as Man City exit acclerates
Portugal star Joao Cancelo has confirmed his desire to play for Barcelona in the 2024-25 season as the player keeps the Spanish giants as top priority. Cancelo, still a Manchester City player will return to his parent club after his deal expires. However, the Portugal star’s relationship with Pep Guardiola is not great and is expected to be sold or loaned out again.
Addressing the issue, Cancelo has stated that he would be happy to return to Barcelona.
Cancelo hints at Barcelona's return
"I really like being at Barça, I am very comfortable. My family, my daughter, my wife also. We hope that next year we will be here,” Cancelo said in the post-match after Portugal beat Czechia.
Having spent the entire last season on loan with the Spanish giants, Cancelo wants Barcelona to strike a deal in the coming days. The club is also happy to keep the Portuguese player, but face Financial Fair Play (FFP) issues. According to the FFP rules, Barcelona will first have to sell players before purchasing any.
What needs to happen for Cancelo to return?
Reports have stated that Barcelona’s current financial situation has made them unable to register new manager Flick with La Liga. For Cancelo to stay, the club needs to sell homegrown players or loan them out to create space on the balance sheet. Selling homegrown players offers the best deal as they would account for zero loss on the balance sheet.
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If the wage bill is still not fixed, Cancelo might have to take a pay cut which could help the club register him. Another option is to ask the parent club, Manchester City, to terminate his current contract and sign for free while also registering him for a lower salary.
For now, the Portuguese defender will have his eyes on winning international honours as his side are one of the favouirtes to win the ongoing Euro 2024.
Portugal made a winning start having beaten Czechia 2-1 on Tuesday evening.
They will next face Turkiye and Georgia in the group stage matches before turning their attention to the knockout stages.
