Barcelona: ‘Complicated’ pursuit of Man City star

Barcelona’s pursuit of Manchester City defender Joao Cancelo will be ‘complicated’, according to reports in Spain.

Cancelo is currently on loan at Barcelona, who are hoping to sign him on a permanent deal this summer.

The Portugal international is surplus to requirements at City, having fallen out with Pep Guardiola.

However, Sport are reporting that a deal between the two clubs is not a certainty.

City are said to value Cancelo at around €40 million, which could be more than Barca can afford.

And, even if the Catalan club can meet that asking price, they could then be outbid by another of Europe’s top teams.

Despite his questionable attitude, Cancelo remains one of the world’s best full-backs and will be a hot commodity this summer.

Barcelona’s head coach hunt

As well as new signings, Barcelona will appoint a new head coach at the end of the season.

FootballTransfers exclusively revealed last week that the Catalan club have contacted Roberto Martinez over the prospect of replacing Xavi at Camp Nou.

Xavi has announced that he will stand down from the role at the end of the current campaign, with the legendary midfielder having been in post for the last three years.

The initial proposal is a one-year deal with the option for one more, with the Blaugrana offering Martinez the opportunity to do the role alongside his current job as Portugal’s head coach.

The 50-year-old has been in his present role since January 2023, having previously led Belgium to the top spot on the FIFA Ranking during his six-year stint in that job.

He departed at the end of the 2022 World Cup after his side were eliminated in the group stage.