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João Cancelo Close to Barça Move as Xavi Pushes for January Priority Signing
Manchester City defender João Cancelo has reportedly agreed personal terms with Barcelona, according to transfer market experts.
The 29-year-old right-back is a priority target for Barcelona's head coach Xavi Hernandez, who has been interested in signing him since January. The Catalan club is now in talks with Manchester City over the deal structure, which could involve using part of the budget from Ousmane Dembele's sale to Paris Saint-Germain.
Cancelo is seen as a key player for Barcelona's rebuild, and he would provide the club with a versatile option at right-back.
João Cancelo is a professional football player for Manchester City of the Premier League and the Portugal national team. He started out with Benfica, then moved on to Valencia, Inter Milan, and Juventus before signing with Manchester City for £27.4m in 2019. He can play both left defense and left flank, demonstrating his versatility and offensive prowess.
Cancelo, instead went on to play 21 times for Bayern across all competitions, notably helping Thomas Tuchel's side clinch the Bundesliga title on the final game of the season.
Cancelo has made three appearances for Man City this summer in preseason friendly, most notably helping the Premier League champions to a 2-1 victory over his former side Bayern Munich in Tokyo last week.
Cancelo: The Crucial Piece of the Puzzle for Xavi's Barça
The addition of Joao Cancelo would be a huge step for Barcelona, who have struggled to find a reliable right back. For most of the past year, the team has had to play Jules Kounde out of position.
Cancelo is a talented and seasoned player who will give the team much-needed depth and quality at right back. He is a fantastic fit for Xavi's system because he is an attacking player who is at ease with the ball at his feet.
