Agreement in principle between Barcelona and Man City for Joao Cancelo

Joao Cancelo's arrival at FC Barcelona is a matter of time. After negotiations were unblocked on Friday, talks continued on Saturday and there is an agreement in principle between the Blaugrana and Manchester City.

The tug-of-war has been intense for City to accept that Cancelo arrives on loan because their preference was for a transfer. However, in the negotiations, the English side have managed to get Barça's purchase option at the end of the season to be somewhat higher than the €30 million that Barcelona had planned.

A purchase option that will not be obligatory, but that could be if a series of objectives are met, such as the player playing 70 percent of Barcelona's official matches and Barça's qualification for the last 16 of the Champions League.

The objectives are, in theory, achievable, as Cancelo will be the undisputed starter at right-back and Barça should take the step of advancing in the Champions League. Therefore, City are counting on receiving significant financial compensation for the Portuguese in the summer of 2024.

Over the next few hours, the details of the deal will continue to be worked out and the announcement will be made shortly. By the beginning of the week at the latest, Cancelo will be a new Barcelona player.

The player's desire to join Barça, as well as the negotiating skills of his agent, Jorge Mendes, have been fundamental for Manchester City to give in.