If there’s anything the Catalan press love doing when it comes to Barcelona, it’s hyping up a transfer and the arrival of Joao Cancelo is no different.
The Portuguese defender finally joined Barcelona on loan from Manchester City at the end of the transfer window following months of speculation about a move and delay after delay as Barca re-jigged their finances to make everything work.
The deal was eventually done on deadline day, and he is now at the Camp Nou for this season, where Mundo Deportivo are expecting big things from him.
They cover the defender today, labelling him ‘Mister Assist’ and explaining that the ‘great virtue’ is the number of chances he provides for those in front of him.
They say the 29-year-old will become a very important player for Barcelona this season, which he will spend on loan from Manchester City.
His figures over the last few years are a testament to that, with 27 assists to his name from 2020/21 to the 2022/23 season. That’s four more than former Barca forward Ousmane Dembele managed in the same period.
It’s a key facet of why Barcelona have signed him, alongside the fact he is a regular starter who has never dropped below 43 games in the last three seasons. Another major positive for Xavi and his team.
It’s what he contributes offensively they’re most interested in, though, with that his ‘most valued quality’ and something he needs to provide quickly, with the pressure on and a need to deliver, literally.
