Six reasons why Xavi wants to sign €50 million-rated Man City star at Barcelona – report

Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez made it abundantly clear in his latest press interaction that he wants the club to sign a new right-back before the transfer window closes.

And, as has been indicated by multiple reliable sources, the 43-year-old prioritises a move for Manchester City outcast Joao Cancelo despite some officials at the club preferring Ivan Fresneda of Real Valladolid.

Now, Fernando Polo of Mundo Deportivo has come up with a detailed report outlining the six key reasons why Xavi is pushing hard to sign Cancelo in the summer transfer window.

1. Proven quality

The main reason why Xavi prefers Cancelo over Fresneda is the fact that the former has proven himself at the highest level in Europe and comes with a stamp of quality.

The Portuguese international has shown his ability to drive forward and hit accurate crosses while being a quality passer of the ball. He also possesses a mean shot within him. His pedigree and proven ability make him an appealing target for Xavi.

2. Versatility

Another main reason that makes Cancelo an attractive commodity for the Barcelona manager is his versatile nature. The 29-year-old is capable of operating at right-back and left-back with equal comfort despite being a right-footed player.

Indeed, the Manchester City ace performed exceedingly well at left-back for an entire season under Pep Guardiola and played in the position on occasions for Bayern Munich while on loan in the previous campaign. With his signing, Barça would essentially strengthen two positions.

3. Experience

Cancelo has a bucket load of experience under his belt, having played for several elite clubs across Europe throughout his career. Indeed, since breaking out at Benfica in 2014, the 29-year-old has represented Valencia, Inter Milan, Juventus, Manchester City, and most recently Bayern Munich.

The right-back has, in total, made 381 career appearances, in which he has 18 goals and 64 assists and that sort of experience would be worth its weight in gold for the La Liga champions.

4. His situation at Man City

Cancelo has four years left on his contract with Manchester City but has no future at the Etihad following his alleged falling out with manager Pep Guardiola earlier this year.

It was the reason he was loaned out to Bayern Munich in January and the Cityzens remain keen on offloading him this summer. His availability on the market is another driving factor behind Barça’s interest in his services.

5. The Jorge Mendes factor

One of the biggest factors in the Catalans’ pursuit of Cancelo is that he is represented by Jorge Mendes. The Portuguese super-agent shares an excellent relationship with Barcelona president Joan Laporta and has offered the right-back’s services to the club on multiple occasions.

Mendes has informed the La Liga champions that his client would be a feasible option for them this summer, which is why the club is pushing to sign him on a season-long loan deal with a permanent purchase option.

6. Willingness to join

Finally, another main driving force behind Xavi’s pursuit of Cancelo is the player’s willingness to play for Barcelona. The 29-year-old had previously offered himself to the club when he was at Juventus and still continues to dream of wearing the Blaugrana jersey.

In fact, the report even claims that Cancelo would be willing to agree to a pay cut to move to the club.

Player valuation in title obtained from transfermarkt.com on date of publication.