Spanish giants Barcelona are willing to be patient in their pursuit of Manchester City star Joao Cancelo this summer, Soccernet.football understands.
The Portuguese had a successful loan spell with Barca last season where he made 42 appearances, scoring four goals, including two in the Champions League and became a crucial part of the Blaugrana’s squad.
Barcelona have made it clear they want Cancelo to stay at the club, and it’s believed that the defender feels the same way. However, the Catalans will only pursue him if a loan option is available, whereas Manchester City want to sell him permanently.
As per reports from SPORT, Barcelona are prepared to act “patiently” to secure Cancelo. City’s current asking price of €30m is too high for the Spanish side so they are bidding their time, hoping that the price will drop as the end of the transfer window approaches.
Barcelona’s sporting director Deco plans to wait until later in the window, anticipating that Manchester City’s desire to offload Cancelo might force them to agree to another loan deal.
Clubs in Saudi Arabia are prepared to meet City’s asking price for Cancelo, but Barcelona are hoping the 30-year-old will reject these offers to further increase the pressure on the English champions to facilitate his return to Camp Nou.
Manchester City will continue to seek a permanent solution for Cancelo, with agent Jorge Mendes tasked with finding him a new club away from the Etihad. However, Barcelona believe they can secure his signature by playing the long game.
