Barcelona plot ambitious double deal for Man City, Tottenham rejects; Guardiola wants £43m outcast gone
Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez watches his team in action
Barcelona manager Xavi is reportedly pushing to sign Joao Cancelo from Manchester City and Giovani Lo Celso from Tottenham Hotspur this summer.
The Catalans are working on a relatively tight budget as they continue to grapple with financial constraints but Xavi is eyeing a raid on the Premier League duo.
It’s no secret that Cancelo is expected to leave Man City this summer after falling out of favour with Pep Guardiola.
As reported by TEAMtalk, the Cityzens want to sell Cancelo ‘as soon as possible.‘ He spent the second half of last season on loan with Bayern Munich despite being a key player for Man City in the past.
The official reason for the full-back’s departure was for more consistent playing time, although there have been rumours of a fallout between him and Guardiola.
Bayern Munich decided against signing Cancelo on a permanent basis. Barcelona have a long standing interest in the Portugal international and now they are looking to make a move.
They are also keen on signing Lo Celso from Tottenham, who Ange Postecoglou is willing to sell for the right price this summer.
Barcelona plot Man City, Tottenham raids
According to Spanish journalist Javi Miguel, Xavi has made Cancelo and Lo Celso his two key targets for the summer window. But, he will have to sell players before being able to afford the pair.
On Twitter, he wrote: “Xavi is pushing for Lo Celso and Cancelo. We will see how far Barcelona can go.
“Without exits it will be impossible to cover these operations. Lenglet, Kessie and Dest must be sold first.”
Interestingly, Tottenham are pushing to re-sign Clement Lenglet from Barcelona this summer. So that could potentially help Barcelona fund the deals.
As mentioned, Lo Celso has been deemed surplus to requirements by Postecoglou.
The midfielder spent last season on loan with Villarreal, where he made 22 LaLiga appearances, scoring two goals and making three assists.
With that in mind, a move to Barcelona could be exactly what Lo Celso needs to reignite his career.
It isn’t clear from the report how much Barcelona will need to spent on the 27-year-old. But, Transfermarkt value him at approximately £14m.
Cancelo, on the other hand, would be a more expensive addition. Man City will reportedly demand around £43m for him this summer, so it remains to be seen whether Barcelona can generate enough cash to fund the double deal.
