Barcelona’s priority in the remainder of the transfer market is a right-back, about that there appears to be little doubt. Manager Xavi Hernandez has said as much and the question now remains as to whom they will bring in.
The problem appears to be that the club itself can’t quite agree on the answer. Sporting Director Deco appears to a major advocate of Ivan Fresneda of Real Valladolid, but at just 18, and without a full season as a starter, Xavi would prefer a more experienced option.
However neither does Joao Cancelo, who Barcelona have agreed terms with, generate consensus. Not only is he likely to be a short-term, costly solution, MD say that within the club there are concerns about his character.
Cancelo has a history of falling out with managers. At Valencia, Marcelino Garcia Toral got on well with Cancelo initially, until the Portuguese’s elevated status saw a change in his character. His next move was to Inter, where he struggled to gel with Luciano Spalletti.
“If he doesn’t play well, Cancelo blames the position he plays. If you put him on the right, he says he had to play on the left and vice versa. Everyone does it, but he complains more than the others,” the Italian once said.
Apparently without problems at Juventus, Cancelo excelled under Pep Guardiola until last season. The former Barcelona manager has denied that there were issues between the two, but seemingly Cancelo has tended to become more difficult whenever he has faced serious competition (Kyle Walker), or been benched.
“In a training session he was not at his best because he did not like the situation he was in. There are players who face not playing in a game better and others, not so much. There was a session in which he did not train as I wanted, but we talked later and it has helped him a lot,” said Julian Nagelsmann during his loan spell at Bayern Munich last season.
Xavi however believes he can deal with the Portuguese. His reasoning being that he has been in many a difficult dressing before, and has told the sporting department that he will resolve any problems.
While Xavi has faced questions tactically during his time as a manager, it must be said that his ability to get his side pulling in the same direction has been for the most part, impressive. In general, it appears that the dressing room is much more content these days, and he deserves some of that merit – the question remains whether signing Cancelo would be jeopardising that.
