Manchester City set to sell €40 million defender ‘to highest bidder’ this summer

Manchester City are reportedly ready to sell Joao Cancelo to the ‘highest bidder’ this summer.

Cancelo cemented himself as one of Europe’s elite full-backs after breaking into Pep Guardiola’s team at Manchester City between 2020-2022, but a falling-out over playing time saw the Portugal international break ties with the Etihad club.

After initially being sent on a partial-season loan to Bayern Munich in January of 2023, Cancelo put pen to paper on a season-long move to Barcelona in the summer, all but cementing the idea that his relationship with Guardiola was permanently severed.

But with the upcoming summer window beginning to peak its head out, Manchester City will soon have to make a decision regarding the full-back’s future as he returns to Manchester upon the expiry of his Barcelona loan.

While some reports have suggested the two clubs may look to extend his deal in Catalonia, as is the preference of the defender, Spanish outlet SPORT have refuted that claim.

According to the relayed report from Sports Witness, Manchester City ‘do not want to’ take anything other than a permanent sale into consideration and will look to find Cancelo a long-term home in the summer.

City will reportedly sell the 29-year-old to the ‘highest bidder’, and that could even be Premier League rivals, or clubs in Saudi Arabia.

According to the reports, the Etihad club will set a price-tag of around €40 million for the full-back, a fee that Barcelona will most likely not be able to meet given their current financial circumstances.

Despite the deteriorated relationship between the player and the club, City are said to not be in any major rush to get a deal over the line, and will instead wait for an agreement that they find to be suitable.

Cancelo’s current contract at Manchester City runs until 2027.