Barcelona: Xavi makes honest admission over Cancelo links

The Manchester City defender is heavily linked with a move to Barcelona in the remaining days of the transfer window.

Barcelona are dealing with “unfortunate” financial issues amid their efforts to sign Joao Cancelo, admits Xavi Hernandez.

Bayern Munich avoided signing Cancelo on a permanent contract after his loan deal at Allianz Arena. The Portugal international has returned to Man City, where his chances of securing a lineup spot look even worse than last season.

Barcelona have emerged as Cancelo’s number one suitors but their financial issues have prevented them from completing the transfer.

“We’ll see,” Xavi told reporters when asked about Cancelo. “The board and the sporting director know what we believe that the team needs.

But we are depending on our unfortunate financial situation and the salary limit. There are still some days left and we’ll see.”

According to Fabrizio Romano, Cancelo is set to join Barcelona in the final days of the transfer window. However, the club are still waiting for the Financial Fair Play approval to complete the move.

Cancelo’s versatility and his ball-playing abilities as a full-back could make him an instant starter under Xavi. The Spanish manager has been looking to regain balance on the right-hand side of his Barcelona lineup since Ousmane Dembele‘s departure earlier this summer.