Barcelona 'keen to sign Joao Cancelo on loan this summer'

Barcelona are reportedly hopeful of signing Manchester City defender Joao Cancelo on loan this summer.

The 28-year-old was surprisingly allowed to leave Man City in January to complete a loan switch to Bayern Munich, and he has represented the German outfit on 11 occasions, contributing one goal and four assists.

Bayern have the option to sign Cancelo on a permanent basis this summer for a fee in the region of £61m, but it is understood that he will be returning to the Etihad Stadium at the end of the season.

There had been talk of a fall-out between the Portugal international and Man City boss Pep Guardiola before he departed in January, but the defender insisted that he simply wanted to play more matches.

"I've not had much game time in the past few weeks, which influenced my decision. There was speculation that my relationship with Pep was not the best, but the fact is I wanted to play more," he told reporters at a press conference upon his arrival in Munich.

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According to SPORT, Barcelona are determined to sign a new right-back this summer, and Cancelo has been identified as a genuine option, with the club hopeful of taking him on loan for 2023-24.

The report claims that Cancelo would be willing to complete another loan switch, providing that Barcelona commit to signing him on a permanent basis once their finances have improved.

Xavi's side do not have a specialist right-back, with Ronald Araujo, Sergi Roberto and Jules Kounde all operating in that area of the field during the 2022-23 campaign.

Cancelo made the move to Manchester from Juventus in 2019, and he has been an important part of his side's success in recent years, scoring nine goals and registering 22 assists in 154 appearances in all competitions.

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The Portuguese has won two Premier League titles and one EFL Cup during his time at the Etihad Stadium, in addition to reaching the 2020-21 Champions League final.

Cancelo still has a long-term deal at Man City, meanwhile, with his terms not due to expire until June 2027.

The defender has played 37 times in total for both his parent club and Bayern during the 2022-23 campaign, contributing three goals and nine assists in the process.

Guardiola's plans for Cancelo this summer are unclear, but it is thought that the Spaniard is planning to be without the former Benfica youngster.

The full-back has been involved in seven of Bayern's eight Bundesliga games since his arrival, while he featured in both legs of their Champions League last-16 clash with Paris Saint-Germain.