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Barcelona being pressured by Jorge Mendes

By Rucker Haringey

VALENCIA, SPAIN - DECEMBER 04: Joao Cancelo of Valencia in action during the La Liga match between Valencia CF and Malaga CF at Mestalla Stadium on December 04, 2016 in Valencia, Spain. (Photo by Manuel Queimadelos Alonso/Getty Images)
VALENCIA, SPAIN - DECEMBER 04: Joao Cancelo of Valencia in action during the La Liga match between Valencia CF and Malaga CF at Mestalla Stadium on December 04, 2016 in Valencia, Spain. (Photo by Manuel Queimadelos Alonso/Getty Images) /
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Barcelona can’t wait until the summer to sign Joao Cancelo

Sometimes the best laid transfer plans can be scuppered at a moment’s notice. It appears that’s just what is happening to Barcelona’s grand plans to sign Valencia defender Joao Cancelo this summer.

Just a few weeks ago, it seemed the Catalan giants were almost certainly going to sign the talented fullback when the summer transfer window opened. Most believed the club had an agreement with Cancelo’s agent, Jorge Mendes, to orchestrate a move worth roughly £25 million.

As you know, several weeks can be an eternity when it comes to the transfer market. Now, reports from Spain claim that Cancelo is desperate to secure a departure from Valencia within the next week. Even more concerning for Barcelona, is the emergence of several Premier League suitors in the race for the 22-year-old.

That causes a problem for Barcelona since the club have repeatedly claimed they cannot afford to purchase any new talent without selling one or two stars first. If that’s true, Luis Enrique and company will have to look elsewhere for a long-term replacement for Dani Alves.

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It’s pretty easy to see Mendes’ fingerprints all over this situation. Cancelo is getting regular playing time with Valencia, so forcing a January move doesn’t make sense unless he already has another club lined up (no, I don’t buy the idea that he’s upset at being forced to play further up the pitch. It’s quite obvious that Mendes already has a potential move to England in the works. Don’t be surprised if Cancelo ends up at one of the Manchester clubs within the next week.

I suppose it’s also possible that Mendes is floating these rumours to try to encourage Barcelona to pick up the pace. No one in the world of football really believes they can’t afford to sign anyone in January. It’s purely a sign of rare fiscal conservatism by the La Liga giants.

It’s also possible that Barcelona want to drag their feet on a deal for Cancelo because of increasing confidence in the likes of Sergi Roberto and Aleix Vidal. Both have begun to play better football as of late. It’s possible that the combination of those two players could remove the club’s need to purchase a new right back this summer.

Next: Barcelona force Liverpool to overpay star

At any rate, the odds of Joao Cancelo ending up at Barcelona have dropped considerably. As usual, Jorge Mendes is after an immediate payday for his client. This time, it is going to cost Cancelo a move to his favourite club.

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