OFFICIAL: Cancelo swaps Man City for Barca on loan

Barcelona and Manchester City have announced that Joao Cancelo has left the Etihad for the 2023-24 campaign to join the Spanish side on loan.

The Portuguese winger was set to join the Catalan giants with an option to buy. However, in the last few days before the market closed Barcelona could not find a way to make the loan deal comply with Financial Fair Play.

That is why, according to Fabrizio Romano, the 'Cules' have removed the purchase option from the contract in order to announce the player. Despite this, both the Catalan club and the Premier League outfit have reached a verbal agreement to discuss a possible permanent signing in June 2024 when Cancelo's loan spell with Xavi Hernandez's side comes to an end.

It will be Cancelo's second spell in Spain, following a three and a half stint with Valencia between 2014 and 2018. He left City for Bayern in January following a falling out with manager Pep Guardiola when the defender bemoaned his lack of protagonism in the squad, leading the Spaniard to send him to the Bundesliga.

 

September 1, 2023