Manchester City fullback Joao Cancelo “does not want to return to England” according to Abendzeitung (AZ).
The Munich-based publication claims that the Portuguese international, who has been on loan at Bayern Munich, will press for a permanent transfer abroad this summer.
Arsenal had been tipped as a potential destination for Cancelo, but AZ claim that a switch to North London would be “uninteresting” for the defender, who is keen on going to “warmer, southern regions”.
That seems to suggest that the 28-year-old is holding out for a move to Spain, with Barcelona thought to be his preferred choice.
City blocked a transfer to Barca in January
The Catalan club’s manager, Xavi, recently revealed that his team did make an offer for Cancelo during the January transfer window, but the proposal was rejected without any explanation given.
Considering Barcelona’s financial situation, it is pretty easy to guess why the bid was knocked back. At the time, City were keen on including a purchase clause in any loan deal, and it should be pointed out that Bayern had the option to sign the player for €70m (£60m) in the agreement that was eventually reached.
There is no way that Barca could afford such a fee for Cancelo, and if they come in with another loan proposal this summer, you would expect it would be rejected once again.
Real Madrid could, potentially, be another option for the Portuguese star. Reports earlier this year claimed that the La Liga side were sounded out about a deal before the fullback ultimately ended up making the switch to Germany. It could be something that is revisited in the coming weeks.
What seems clear, though, is that Cancelo won’t be plying his trade in the Premier League next season, either at the Etihad or the Emirates Stadium.
