Barcelona are set to make their interest in Manchester City right-back Joao Cancelo formal, as per Fabrizio Romano.
The Blaugrana have been pursuing a right-back all summer, and overall it has been a problem position for the past seven years. There has been some debate internally at Barcelona over whether they should sign Cancelo or go for a younger option with long-term potential, such as Ivan Fresneda.
However Manager Xavi Hernandez has dug his heels in over Cancelo, and according to Romano, are they will now submit a formal bid for Cancelo, consisting of a loan offer with an option to buy in it. He goes on to say that Cancelo and Barcelona have already agreed terms.
Whether City accept is another matter. It is believed that Pep Guardiola’s side would far rather a permanent sale for Cancelo, although with the Portuguese’s value having dipped over the past 12 months, they might be more open to a loan deal.
Cancelo so far has not received major interest from elsewhere in Europe, and as the transfer window approaches its final two weeks, they may be forced to choosing between a loan deal or keeping Cancelo until January if they hold out for a major fee.