Barcelona Transfer News: Pep Guardiola opposed the move of Joao Cancelo to Barcelona

Barcelona Transfer News: Despite Barcelona’s unsuccessful effort to sign Joao Cancelo from Manchester City in January, the right-back’s future with the Catalan club remains a matter of concern. The deal fell through due to a number of factors, including Pep Guardiola’s apparent opposition to the trade.

The attempts Barcelona made in January to sign Cancelo have been revealed by Diario SPORT (via Barca Universal). It is said that an agreement was struck with Manchester City for the Portugal international, but the deal ultimately fell through due to financial difficulties for both clubs.

This would have been Guardiola’s second rejection of a transfer between the two teams, and it effectively put an end to the deal. In early 2022, Guardiola blocked Raheem Sterling from joining Barcelona, and the player ultimately signed with Chelsea.

Barcelona Transfer News: Pep Guardiola opposed the move of Joao Cancelo to Barcelona

Cancelo’s path was temporarily sidetracked when he was loaned to Bayern Munich for the rest of the season. The time the Portuguese star spent in Bavaria has not been great, as he has had trouble breaking into the starting lineup. City’s apparent lack of interest in retaining the right-back has led to rumors that he may be transferred to Barcelona this summer.

Barca’s pursuit of Cancelo continues unabated despite competition from Real Madrid. The Catalan club hasn’t made up their minds about signing a new right back just yet. Priorities like bringing in Lionel Messi take precedence over the continuing drama surrounding Cancelo’s future at the club.

As Lionel Messi’s contract with Paris Saint-Germain nears its conclusion, the potential of his return to Barcelona has dominated Spanish football headlines in recent weeks. The probable transfer has piqued the interest of Barca fans who have been pining for the return of their favourite player ever since he left the team in 2021.