Barcelona closing in on the signing of Man City outcast on loan with €35 million buy option

According to Sergi Capdevila of SPORT, Barcelona are closing in on the signing of Manchester City defender Joao Cancelo.

The operation will likely be a loan deal with an option for a permanent buy worth around €35 million inserted into the agreement.

As per the report, the La Liga champions have already presented a formal offer to Man City as well as the player, and the deal is progressing, with a happy ending in sight.

Cancelo has always been Xavi’s first choice

Barcelona have been scouring the market for a new right-back all summer and have been linked with several players.

However, manager Xavi Hernandez has always prioritised Cancelo’s signing, having also tried to bring him to Catalonia back in January.

While the deal did not materialise back then, it could now, with the report stating that this Wednesday or Thursday could be key days in finalising the operation.

Deco has been in talks with Cancelo’s agent, Jorge Mendes, and has informed him of the maximum salary that Barça can pay the Portuguese right-back, who currently earns €14 million per year at Manchester City.

The Blaugrana will only pay a part of it and the rest would be given up by the defender, as per the report, meaning City will be free of his total wages and will not have a player on the books that does not belong in the manager’s plans.

As iterated earlier, the buy option is expected to be worth around €35 million, and all parties involved are eager to get the deal done at the earliest possible and not delay the operation until late in the window.

As such, the deal could pick up pace in the next couple of days, with Cancelo aiming to join Barcelona as early as possible.