From Spain: Agent travels to Manchester in search of transfer resolution amid Barcelona ‘doubts’ | OneFootball

Joao Cancelo’s Manchester City future remains uncertain, amid fresh transfer doubts from Barcelona executives surrounding the defender’s suitability.

The 30-year-old has made 154 previous first-team appearances for Pep Guardiola’s side, but hasn’t featured competitively for Manchester City since January 2023, after a training ground bust-up led to the full-back moving to Bayern Munich and FC Barcelona on loan.

Cancelo has been training with the first-team at the City Football Academy in recent weeks, but has been absent from the matchday squad for fixtures against both Manchester United and Chelsea, despite suggestions from Guardiola of a potential return to the side.

The defender featured across La Liga and the UEFA Champions League during a season-long loan at the Camp Nou during the 2023/24 campaign, however Barcelona’s dire financial outlook has impacted a return to Catalonia to date.

Manchester City’s dramatic attempts to re-sign Ilkay Gundogan on a free transfer could improve prospects of Cancelo returning to Barcelona for the new season, although the 30-year-old is contracted at the Etihad Stadium until 2027.

The Saudi Pro League has also emerged as a potential destination for Cancelo, meanwhile there has also been interest from Italy, with the defender having initially moved to Manchester City from Juventus in 2019.

Sport Witness relay claims from outlet Sport, who reveal that Cancelo’s agent Jorge Mendes has travelled to Manchester to talk with Etihad bosses about securing a transfer resolution for his client, with hope of agreeing a return to Barcelona on loan.

The La Liga side reportedly have some ‘doubts’ about re-signing the right-back however, with further claims that Cancelo’s behaviour and some previous performance have raised a number of questions.

Barcelona have ‘major concerns’ about some of Cancelo’s performances, including the during the club’s Champions League exit to Paris Saint-Germain last season, as well as his ‘behaviour’ within the first-team dressing room.

Manchester City have a number of options at full-back without Cancelo, with Rico Lewis having impressed at right-back against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon.