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3 months ago
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Benfica, Valencia, Inter Milan, Juventus, Manchester City, Bayern Munich and FC Barcelona. When you’re little, when you dream of a football career, it’s often the kind of prodigious destinies you aspire to. This CV is none other than that of João Cancelo. At only 30 years old, the versatile defender has already played for the best clubs in the world and still belongs to the Skyblues. However, despite this enviable situation on paper, the reality is quite different for the Portuguese international (58 caps, 10 goals). Author of an interesting loan last season with FC Barcelona (4 goals, 4 assists in 42 matches), Cancelo was unable to stay in Catalonia due to the precarious financial situation of the Blaugranas.
Back at City, the right defender has simply been put in the loft. Once a darling of Pep Guardiola, who had made prodigious tactical innovations with the former bianconero, the latter no longer fits into the Catalan tactician’s plans. Since the start of the season, the native of Barreiro has been training with the group, but has not been called up for any matches while Kyle Walker and Rico Lewis have been placed before him in the hierarchy. This weekend, during the away victory at Chelsea (0-2), the former Benfica player was still not in the game. A situation that is inevitably uncomfortable for the man whose contract with the Cityzens expires in 2027. Pointed out for his sometimes problematic behavior, but also for his questionable defensive rigor, Cancelo is no longer in the good books in the north of England.
Saudi Arabia and Barça look at him with Chimene’s eyes
From then on, a departure seems inevitable for the interested party. But who are these courtiers just a stone’s throw away from the end of the transfer window in Europe, on August 30? Still plagued by enormous financial problems, Barça is certainly on the player’s trail in order to repatriate him. This would necessarily be in the form of a new loan. A possibility that could, depending on the terms proposed, convince City, inclined to part with the player in any form. However, this alternative could already be nipped in the bud. Indeed, as reported by Sport This morning, the player’s salary expectations are too high to be included in the Culés’ payroll.
One of the other options available to Cancelo is to stay at Manchester City and prove to Pep Guardiola that he deserves his place in the team. In a press conference this weekend, the Catalan coach had also had some complimentary words about his player while leaving doubts about his future: “Maybe he will stay or maybe he will be loaned. He is training well and behaving well. What happens will depend on his agent, we will treat him like the others, with respect and trying to get the most out of his qualities. I have never doubted his qualities, but we will see what happens.»
In all this chaos, Saudi Arabia could also represent a golden exit. In recent days, an interest from Al-Hilal has been reported by several English and Spanish media. Able to afford its monster salary, the Riyadh-based club is looking for a player in this position following advanced negotiations between AS Roma and Saud Abdulhamid, the right defender of the reigning Saudi Arabian champion. At present, the Gulf represents above all an interesting escape route as the transfer window closes on October 6 on Saudi soil.
