Manchester City Outcast Joao Cancelo faces Man City transfer uncertainty with Barca manager decision after sacking of Xavi

Joao Cancelo, who is currently on loan at Barcelona from Manchester City, may face an uncertain future as the summer transfer window approaches, especially with the ongoing changes in Barcelona’s managerial staff.

The Portuguese full-back has already experienced life away from Manchester City, having been loaned to Bayern Munich during City’s treble-winning season and spending the entire current season with Barcelona due to strained relations at his parent club. During his time at Barcelona, Cancelo has made 41 appearances under Xavi Hernandez and contributed to eight goals.

Cancelo is set to return to Manchester City, where he still has three years left on his contract, once his loan spell ends. However, given the circumstances, a return to City seems unlikely, which means discussions about his departure will need to begin again.

When Manchester City and Barcelona agreed on Cancelo’s loan last summer, there was no option for Barcelona to purchase him outright in the upcoming transfer window. This has led to ongoing speculation, with the latest reports suggesting that Cancelo will not return to Camp Nou.

Spanish daily SPORT reports that with Xavi’s departure from Barcelona, his likely successor, Hansi Flick, does not favor Cancelo. Flick, who is expected to take over as Barcelona’s manager at the end of the season, prefers to look for other options in the transfer market, as he does not believe Cancelo fits his defensive requirements.

Flick’s plan to explore alternatives is hindered by the club’s tendency to rely on the loan market rather than making permanent signings.

The situation has changed dramatically in the past two weeks. Although Xavi announced his intention to resign earlier this year, the board convinced him to stay, and the strong relationship between Xavi and the board had nearly guaranteed Cancelo another loan spell. However, with Flick set to take over, this possibility has vanished.

Additionally, Cancelo’s standing has significantly shifted. Once considered the best in his position and a key player in Pep Guardiola’s championship-winning teams in the 2020–21 and 2021–22 seasons, his reputation has been affected by recent events.

As a result, Manchester City will likely be looking for potential buyers to arrange another loan deal or, ideally, to recoup as much of the £60 million they spent on Cancelo in 2019.