Cancelo has a price tag of €40 million, even with that Barcelona have a problem

Joao Cancelo is expected to return to Manchester City in early July. Barcelona would like to turn the defender’s loan spell into a permanent transfer, but there is a catch. Barcelona cannot meet the financial demands that the English big club insists on.

Cancelo this season

In his very first games, the Portuguese impressed the Catalan crowd. The team hasn’t had an offensive midfielder of such quality since Dani Alves. In the first game he entered in the starting line-up he immediately scored a goal. He was instrumental in the 5-0 demolition of Real Betis. The second match in the starting line-up, a 3: 2 win and a personal record of 1+1 (goals + assists).

In the following matches he also performed well, although he did not enter the match statistics. The offensive power of Cancelo was recognized by Porto, against whom he again had a 1+1 record.

However, the average rating of 7.32 according to SofaScore speaks for itself. So it is no wonder that Barcelona would like to keep him. The player himself, when asked if he would like to continue wearing the Barcelona jersey in the next seasons, answers yes. However, some things are not in his power.

The set price

Manchester City have set the price of the Portuguese defender at 40 million euros. According to Transfermarkt, Cancelo’s market value is currently around that amount. Compared to the asking price from last summer, it’s a 50% drop. In the summer, the Citizens were asking €80 million, now it’s only half that.

The asking price for the player was refused by Bayern Munich, where Cancelo was a guest in the spring half of the season, and Barcelona also did not rush to the asking amount.

However, the summer could be a real mess, as Arab clubs are of course also interested. Moreover, 40 million euros for such a quality player would not be a problem for top European clubs.

Barcelona could offer €20 million

However, it wouldn’t be Barcelona that wouldn’t have a problem with the asking price. The Catalan club’s financial problems know no end and the situation is unlikely to change anytime soon. In short, Barcelona cannot pay 40 million euros due to the financial fair-play of the Spanish top flight. The price would thus have to be negotiated by the management.

Barcelona are currently offering 15-20 million euros. Whether the Citizens management will accept such an offer is with a question mark, but it doesn’t seem too realistic. Especially if other interested parties will be interested in the player and they will have no problem with the requested amount.

An extension of the loan deal may seem to be one of the solutions. Cancelo has a contract in England until 2027, so he can be sold maybe next year. However, the Manchester management rejects such an option, as they want to sell Cancelo already this summer. By next summer, the price tag could drop again.

Source: Twitter, LaLiga