Manchester City blocked Barcelona's attempts to recruit full-back Joao Cancelo in January, according to Xavi.
Cancelo had lost Pep Guardiola's favor and was permitted to depart City before the close of the January transfer window. He eventually signed with Bayern Munich on a six-month loan contract with a €70 million buyout option, which the German team swiftly decided they were not willing to accept.
Cancelo was a target for Barcelona before signing a contract to join Bayern, and Xavi has now revealed how City ultimately pulled out of a deal with the Blaugrana.
Cancelo was someone we wanted, Xavi told TV3. "We approved of their promise to give us him.
Finally, they say that Manchester City does not want him to join Barça. That is accurate.
To fill Hector Bellerin's void after his January departure, Barcelona ultimately acquired Julian Araujo from LA Galaxy. However, the 21-year-old Mexican was unable to be registered because the paperwork for the move was finished 18 seconds after the deadline had passed.
After losing Sergi Roberto to injury, Barcelona continued to struggle at right-back and frequently had to rely on Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde, who play center and left back, to provide coverage out wide.
The La Liga champions have once again expressed interest in signing Cancelo, who will return to City after his loan with Bayern expires, since they are believed to be in the market for a new right-back this summer.
Cancelo is available for a permanent transfer and, according to 90min, is unlikely to be reintegrated into Guardiola's team. However, it is unclear whether Barcelona will have the funds to entice City into making a deal.
The inaugural winter World Cup was conducted in 2022 because a summer competition would have been impossible due to the extreme heat in the Middle East. There has never been such a break in England, although leagues throughout Europe are accustomed to taking a break mid-season to re-energize for the start of the new year.
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