Xavi confirms Barcelona interest in Joao Cancelo

Barcelona head coach Xavi has revealed that his club wanted to sign Joao Cancelo on loan from Manchester City during the January transfer window.

The 28-year-old was allowed to leave the Citizens in the middle of the 2022-23 campaign, with Bayern Munich acquiring him until the end of the season.

Cancelo featured on 21 occasions for the Bundesliga champions, scoring once and providing six assists, but he is not expected to move to Allianz Arena on a permanent basis.

There also does not appear to be a future for the Portugal international at Man City under Pep Guardiola, with the two individuals believed to have fallen out earlier this season.

Barcelona continue to be heavily linked with Cancelo, as the club are keen to bring in a specialist right-back during this summer's transfer window.

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Xavi has now confirmed his club's interest in the defender, revealing that Barcelona wanted to sign him on loan in January, only for Man City to pull the plug on a deal.

"We wanted Joao Cancelo at Barca in January, he was offered and we said yes. Man City discussed that internally and then told us they did not want to allow Joao to join Barcelona," Xavi told TV3.

A recent report claimed that Man City would be looking for around €40m (£35m) for his signature this summer, while there have also been suggestions that a loan move to Camp Nou could be agreed, providing that there is a purchase option included in the deal.

Cancelo has played on 154 occasions for Man City since making the move to the Etihad Stadium from Juventus, scoring nine goals and registering 22 assists in the process.

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The full-back has had a successful career in terms of silverware, winning the Primeira Liga with Benfica, Serie A and Italian Super Cup with Juventus, in addition to three Premier League titles and one EFL Cup with Man City.

Cancelo also helped Bayern secure this season's Bundesliga title, with the club just finishing ahead of Borussia Dortmund following an incredible final day of action in Germany's top flight.

Barcelona do not currently have a specialist right-back in their squad, with Jules Kounde largely operating in that position this term, but he was signed as a central defender.

The Catalan outfit will again be restricted in terms of their summer business due to their ongoing financial problems, but they have managed to remove two huge salaries from their wage budget, with Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba both leaving later this month.