Barcelona watch out! Saudi clubs trying to HIJACK Xavi's dream signing
Tom Weber
- Updated: 17 Aug 2023 18:22 BST
- 3 min read
Barcelona could once again miss out on Joao Cancelo, and this time it won't be the fault of Manchester City.
It is no secret that Blaugrana head coach Xavi is after a right back. Not convinced by US men's national team star Sergino Dest, the Spaniard thought that maybe former Arsenal man Hector Bellerin could be a short to medium-term solution, but that experiment ended after just a few months last season.
In January, Barcelona tried to remedy the situation by making a move for out-of-favour Man City right-back Joao Cancelo. A deal was progressing well, but the Cityzens suddenly pulled out, with some reports claiming that it was Pep Guardiola who personally intervened. The Portuguese ultimately ended up on loan at Bayern.
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This summer, the Catalans are once again eyeing the 29-year-old and things were again progressing well. The sales of Ousmane Dembele and Franck Kessie freed up enough resources to make the move possible and Spanish media was confident that a deal was all but done despite the Blaugrana not yet having agreed a fee with their English counterparts.
Saudi clubs trying to swoop in
This optimism has dissipated now. Deco has been appointed as Barcelona's new sporting director and he does not see exactly eye-to-eye with Xavi on some transfer targets. The Athletic reports that Cancelo is one of them.
This has led to indecisiveness regarding the deal and Saudi clubs are now trying to capitalise on this impasse. Several Saudi clubs are keen on the Portuguese defender and they view the current state of the Barcelona negotiations as an ideal window of opportunity.
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Recent reports in Spain suggested that Barcelona had chosen to target Cancelo over Real Valladolid youngster Ivan Fresneda, but that may now change with Deco in charge. The former Chelsea man would prefer to sign Fresneda or Villarreal's Juan Foyth over Cancelo.
