Analysis: Is Joao Cancelo a good fit to solve Barcelona’s right back issues?

Right back has been a problem position at Barcelona for several years now. Ever since Dani Alves departed, for the first time, in 2016, he has failed to be properly replaced by club officials.

Seven years later, the issue still remains. At present, there is no natural right back in Xavi Hernandez’s first team squad, with Jules Kounde having had to play there for much of the season, despite his preference being to play in central defence. Sergi Roberto, Ronald Araujo and Alejandro Balde have also filled in when required.

Despite this, signing a right back this summer could be difficult, as Barcelona continue to struggle with financial problems. It’s unlikely that they will be able to afford transfer fees, meaning that the vast majority of their targets will be ruled out.

However, Joao Cancelo could be a possibility, providing that Manchester City allow him to leave on loan again. The Portuguese is currently at Bayern Munich until the end of the season, and luckily for Barcelona, he appears unlikely to stay at the German champions on a permanent basis.

Barcelona were interested in signing Cancelo in January, but the move failed to come to fruition. Sport have revealed that a deal was close to being completed, as it was considered to be affordable for the Blaugrana, but Pep Guardiola cancelled it at the last minute.

It is unclear why Guardiola stopped Cancelo joining his former club, and it remains to be seen whether it will affect a possible deal this summer, with Barcelona remaining interested in signing Cancelo.

Last season, Cancelo was considered to be one of the best fullbacks in world football, having greatly impressed for Man City. However, the breakdown in his relationship with Guardiola is likely to mean that he has no future at the Premier League champions, and Barcelona could take advantage.

However, if he is signed, Xavi would likely have to change his style of play. With Kounde playing at right back, he has been the more defensive fullback, allowing Balde to bomb forward at will. This has created a nice balance for Barcelona, who have excelled defensively this season.

However, Cancelo is also an attacking fullback, and in order to perform at his best, he would need to play a similar role to Balde, which would cause an imbalance to the Barcelona side.

Given that Xavi is reportedly a huge fan of Villarreal’s Juan Foyth, who is a more defensive-minded right back, it appears that he would prefer to keep his style of play similar going forward, which would mean that Cancelo is not an ideal fit.

In that regard, Cancelo would not be a perfect signing for Barcelona, but given their options, he would still be an excellent addition, providing that a deal is financially viable. However, it’s up for debate as to whether he is the long-term solution.

Tags Barcelona Bayern Munich Joao Cancelo Manchester United
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