There isn’t much time left for teams to execute transfer deals this summer, but where there’s a will, there’s a way, including for treble-winners, Man City.
Pep Guardiola’s side have enjoyed a super start to their 2023/24 Premier League campaign, and have also won the UEFA Super Cup to boot.
They’re almost certainly going to be the team to beat again this season, but that hasn’t stopped Guardiola looking to improve upon what he already has in situ.
That’s the sign of a truly great team, and something that Sir Alex Ferguson did to great effect at rivals, Man United, time and time again.
Just because they’d reached the summit, in order to stay there United (and now City) ensured the status quo remained rather than waiting for a drop off in performance levels before they looked to improve the squad.
One player is almost certain to leave the Etihad Stadium this summer, however, according to transfer guru, Fabrizio Romano.
“I think it (Joao Cancelo to Barcelona) will happen. It’s something that was very close in January then the deal collapsed because of the Financial Fair Play situation in Barcelona,” he said on The Debrief podcast.
“So, Man City decided to accept the bid from Bayern, but the player already wanted Barcelona in January.
“He really hopes to make this deal happen and what I’m hearing from my sources is that this deal will happen.
“[…] It’s just a matter of time.”
It’s clear that Cancelo doesn’t feature in his manager’s plans, and the knowledge that he wanted to join Barca back in January only underscores the need for this move to happen now.
Whether Barca will be in a position to afford the buy option further down the line is a moot point at this stage, though it will be a foregone conclusion if he is the player for the blaugranes that Xavi clearly hopes he will be.