Man City demands €30M for Cancelo, Barcelona says it can’t afford it

According to Spanish newspaper Marca, Barcelona’s sporting director Deco and new head coach Flick have both expressed their desire for João Cancelo to remain at the club. As a result, Barcelona has initiated talks with Manchester City to retain the Portuguese player. Unfortunately, despite Cancelo’s personal willingness to stay, negotiations have hit a roadblock due to Barcelona’s inability to meet City’s asking price.

It is reported that Manchester City’s sporting director has made it clear to Barcelona that for Cancelo to stay, a transfer fee of £25 million (approximately €30 million) must be paid. However, this figure surpasses Barcelona’s current financial capabilities. As an alternative, Manchester City, under Guardiola’s management, has agreed to extend Cancelo’s loan by one year, but with a mandatory buyout clause worth £25 million included in the contract.

Prior to this, Guardiola commented on Barcelona’s interest in Cancelo: “Both clubs will talk.Cancelo is our player, and if no agreement is reached, he will return for pre-season training here. If he wants to stay at Barcelona and both clubs can agree, then he will stay there.”

Cancelo has shown great commitment by being willing to accept a pay cut to facilitate his stay at Barcelona.

Although Manchester City doesn’t plan to include Cancelo in next season’s squad, his contract runs until June 2027, and the club is not prepared to let him leave for free. Guardiola confirmed that should Cancelo’s transfer not be completed before pre-season, he will join the team for their tour of the United States, including a match against Barcelona on July 31st, adding a touch of drama to the situation.

In summary, while Barcelona is keen to keep Cancelo, the €30 million transfer fee demanded by Manchester City is currently out of reach. Should the clubs fail to reach an agreement, Cancelo will proceed with Manchester City’s pre-season preparations as scheduled.