Barcelona have ruled out a move for Manchester City defender Joao Cancelo this summer due to his ‘high financial demands’ and reputation as a ‘troublemaker’.
That’s according to AS, who say the Catalan club have ‘closed the club’s doors’ on him for good after assessing a potential move.
The La Liga leaders had been linked with a move for Cancelo in the summer, with Joan Laporta having admitted that they need a new right-back for Xavi’s squad.
The idea of a loan deal had been mooted, with Manchester City reportedly open to that after letting the Portuguese defender join Bayern Munich until the end of the season.
A recent report made it clear that they were planning to investigate the player and it seems that has led them to decide not to bother.
AS explain that the club’s sporting management has ‘rejected’ the possible transfer, with Cancelo’s high financial demands and ‘reputation for being a troublesome player’ inside and outside the dressing room putting them off.
Barca chiefs Joan Laporta and Mateu Alemany met with agent Jorge Mendes in Porto on Tuesday and made it clear that the deal, which ‘already posed serious and significant problems’, wouldn’t be happening.
They have no intention of signing him from Manchester City now or in future and will now instead turn their attention to other options on the market to find the right-back they want.