Barcelona to discuss £20 million transfer with Manchester City ‘next week’ – Pay cut agreed with player

Manchester City and Barcelona are reportedly set for talks over a permanent agreement for out-of-favour Etihad Stadium defender Joao Cancelo as soon as ‘next week’.

The 30-year-old has been out of Pep Guardiola’s plans for over a year now, having been largely shut out of first-team action at Manchester City following the conclusion of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Rico Lewis’ emergence in the first-team picture, alongside Kyle Walker’s continued top-level performances in certain matches, saw Manchester City go on to win a historic Treble during the second-half of the same season.

That run also saw City defeat Bayern Munich en route to the UEFA Champions League final win over Inter, with Cancelo on-loan and featuring for the Bavarian club in the two-legged quarter-final affair.

However, with Bayern Munich opting not to trigger their buy-option on the versatile Portuguese profile, Barcelona were left to swoop in during the last summer market for a season-long loan and are now targeting a permanent agreement this time around.

That is according to the information of Manchester City insider ‘Tolmie’s Hairdoo’ on X, who reports that Barcelona officials will discuss a permanent deal to sign João Cancelo with Manchester City as soon as ‘next week’.

It is further explained however that the La Liga giants themselves have claimed that they can only afford a £20 million transfer fee for the Portugal international and that the player has already agreed to a £50,000-per-week pay cut on his Manchester City salary.

Manchester City are unlikely to seek a direct replacement for Cancelo during the same transfer window, with the club seemingly content with their current options in both full-back roles in Pep Guardiola’s defensive line.

However, the club are likely to keep themselves open to market opportunities, with Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong understood to be a player of interest, should a transfer fee appeal to those in recruitment positions.

Despite interest from Saudi Arabia, and the potential for renewed admiration from Bayern Munich, Kyle Walker is likely to stay at Manchester City into the 2024/25 campaign, and could also retain the captain’s armband following his Premier League title success of last season.