Barcelona close to Cancelo signing, says Flick
The former Manchester City defender is set for a second spell at the Nou Camp
Barcelona are close to re-signing Portugal defender Joao Cancelo on a deal until the end of the season.
The 31-year-old spent the 2023-24 season on loan with Barca from Manchester City and is now set to return after 18 months in Saudi Arabia with Al Hilal.
Flick initially planned to sign a centre-back this month but with Ronald Araujo now back available the former Bayern Munich boss is happy to move for Cancelo.
“I spoke with my staff and we think that when Ronald is back we have good alternatives at centre-back. Joao can play at both full-backs,” he said.
“It’s not a done deal, but I’d be happy if it goes through. We talked about signing a centre-back, but this is a good option for these six months.
“We’ve had a situation these past two years where we have to be smart about the players we sign. We can’t spend billions. Our players are progressing. Our youngsters are developing, and we have faith in them.
“Now we have the opportunity to bring in a veteran. I’d appreciate it if he comes.”
Cancelo has won league titles in Portugal, England, Germany and Italy and will hope a move to Spain helps him cement a place in the national squad for this summer’s World Cup.