Cancelo moved to Barcelona on a one-year loan ahead of this season. With a pure loan deal without a full transfer option, Cancelo must return to Manchester City next summer.
However, even in the short time he spent in Barcelona, he seems to be very satisfied. On the 21st (Korea Standard Time), he was busy emphasizing the justification for the transfer, saying, “Manchester City is the best team in the world, but if Barcelona calls it, it should come.”
Cancelo is slowly getting into Barcelona tactics. Cancelo, who made his debut as a substitute against Osasuna earlier this month and played on the ground for about 30 minutes, quickly succeeded in becoming a starting resource.
He also scored his first goal since moving to Barcelona against Real Betis last weekend. Cancelo, who is a full-back but showed no less footwork than most strikers, dribbled past the defender in the opponent’s penalty box and scored his debut goal with an accurate shot. Cancelo, who scored the goal, drew loud cheers from home fans with a goal ceremony pointing to Barcelona’s emblem engraved on the uniform.
This is the full-back Barcelona was looking for. Due to the nature of Barcelona, where side defenders have to go up to a high position, Cancelo can show his advantage. He has a reputation for participating in the offensive camp rather than the average defender. In particular, he enjoyed his heyday when he joined Manchester City in 2019.
Cancelo understood Pep Guardiola’s tactics perfectly and handled the ball well. He played from side to side and sometimes showed his talent as a central midfielder. Even as a defender, he began to fully implement Manchester City’s attacking tactics. In recent years, fullbacks have dug into the center and completed an inverted style of play that gives them a numerical advantage.
However, he began to have a feud with Guardiola last season. He gradually moved away from the starting lineup. Eventually, he left on loan to Bayern Munich in the second half of last season and began to lose to Manchester City. Bayern Munich returned to Manchester City this summer with a disappointment, but he had to leave for Barcelona again.
However, Cancelo vowed loyalty, saying the background of the transfer by saying, “If Barcelona calls you, you have to come.” However, it is not known whether Cancelo will spend a long time in Barcelona. It is a simple lease, and considering Barcelona’s finances, it seems difficult to afford Cancelo’s high ransom. So the local expects Barcelona to send Cancelo and recruit Juan Foyth (Villarreal) next season