Barcelona are reportedly interested in signing Manchester City defender Ruben Dias this summer.
The Catalan club is in the market for a defender after an underwhelming campaign last season in which they finished third in La Liga and won no trophies. This led to the acrimonious departure of head coach Xavi Hernandez. Former Barcelona coach Hansi Flick has taken up the coaching role so far and is tasked with returning Barca to its previous levels.
One of the German managers’ recruitment targets is Man City’s Ruben Dias, who has become less prominent for Pep Guardiola at the Etihad. According to a report by TEAMtalk, Barca considers the Portuguese international as a viable option in their search for a centre-back this summer.
However, the deal is complicated by Barca’s financial incapability and their desire to sign Spain international Nico Williams this summer. The Catalan club is desperate to sign the Athletic Bilbao winger and hopes to wrap up a quick agreement on personal terms with the player.
The 22-year-old is open to joining Barcelona, but Athletic Bilbao won’t let him go for cheap. The Basque club is demanding a full payment, and Barcelona has been told they can only get their man by activating Williams’ €60m/£51m release clause.
Such an undertaking is difficult for Barcelona, given their precarious financial situation. Nonetheless, they are pressing ahead with the move, which will have a knock-on effect on other moves, including their desire to sign Dias and his Portugal and City teammate João Cancelo.
Cancelo spent the second half of last season at Barcelona. He has now returned to the Etihad, waiting to know his fate. According to reports, City and Pep are not interested in him, so his days as a Man City player are effectively over.
However, the problem remains the unavailability of a suitable buyer for Cancelo. Barca want him, but their financial issue means they can only take the player on loan. City wants an outright purchase, but they may reluctantly accept yet another loan agreement as a last resort, given their desire to part with Cancelo and the player’s keenness to join Barca.
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It is a known fact that the relationship between City and Cancelo is over, so we expect the Portuguese defender toner this summer one way or the other.
However, given his experience, it would be surprising if Pep Guardiola’s side sold Ruben Dias. Dias is one of the club’s longest-serving members, and losing him would be a big miscalculation on City’s part, especially considering the fitness issues of John Stones and Nathan Ake.
