Spanish clubs monitoring Manchester City defender after being dropped from team

Joao Cancelo hasn’t had a good start to 2023. Since returning from the FIFA World Cup, the fullback has started in only one league game for Manchester City and has seemingly earned the status of a bench player in recent weeks.

His lack of role in the Manchester City first-team has put a number of clubs on red alert. Interested parties are wondering whether or not the Portuguese international is available in the market, as per The Telegraph.

The report mentions clubs from Spain, Germany, France and Italy are all monitoring the situation of Cancelo, whose contract at Etihad Stadium expires in 2027.

While Barcelona have not been specifically mentioned in the report, the club’s interest in Cancelo would make sense as they are actively searching for a quite right-back that can prove to be an upgrade over the likes of Hector Bellerin and Sergi Roberto.

Formerly of Juventus, Cancelo has established himself as one of the best ‘inverted fullbacks’ on the planet under Pep Guardiola.

His ability to move in centrally and offer numerical superiority in the middle of the park was crucial to Man City’s success in the Premier League last season.

While Cancelo’s stocks have fallen in the current season, the Portuguese international could be an ideal fit for Xavi Hernandez’s system at Barcelona.

On top of his technical and tactical superiority, the right-back can also offer an abundance of experience at the highest level of football.

However, luring Cancelo away from Manchester City could be tricky. Although the Premier League giants will likely not object if the player wants to leave the club, they may hold out for a fortune given the fact that his contract does not expire until 2027.

Cancelo, nevertheless, remains an interesting option for Barcelona to pursue, should the Catalans wish to spend a fortune on a defender next season.