Transfer news expert Fabrizio Romano has claimed Joao Cancelo and Joao Felix, who are on loan from Manchester City and Atletico Madrid, respectively, both want to continue at Barcelona. However, the decision ultimately hinges on Barca’s new manager Hansi Flick.
Barcelona have relieved Xavi of his responsibilities as manager — just over a month after announcing that he would continue in the 2024-25 season. The former Barcelona midfielder is understandably unhappy with his dismissal and recently asked the club official to explain their decision.
Meanwhile, ex-Germany and Bayern Munich manager Flick is gearing up to take Xavi’s place in the Barcelona dugout. The German tactician has reportedly signed his Barca contract and the official announcement is only a matter of time.
Hansi Flick Will Decide Joao Felix And Joao Cancelo’s Barcelona Future, Says Fabrizio Romano
Flick will have the responsibility of making Barcelona competitive again, establishing them not only as La Liga contenders but also as one of the aspirants for the UEFA Champions League. Before tackling the tactical side of things, he must make a few personnel calls, starting with Cancelo and Felix.
In his Daily Briefing column for CaughtOffside, Romano revealed that both Portuguese players wanted to continue at Barcelona, but it all depended on Flick.
Giving the latest on Barcelona’s transfer situation, Romano said:
“We’ve had a lot of stories about Xavi and I’ve already mentioned that I was not aware of any contacts with Chelsea, despite some rumors. There are now also some stories doing the rounds about Xavi’s disagreements with Barcelona over the future of some key players.
“It’s been reported that the futures of Joao Felix and Joao Cancelo, both on loan at Barca from Atletico Madrid and Manchester City, respectively, but I don’t think this made the difference with the Xavi situation, there were other topics; not Felix and Cancelo.”
He added:
“In any case, now Barcelona board will welcome Hansi Flick in the city and will start meetings to discuss every player’s position and future. Cancelo and Felix want to stay at Barca, but it depends on the new manager now.”
Both Cancelo and Felix got enough opportunities to prove themselves in 2023-24. The Manchester City full-back played 42 games for the club in all competitions, scoring four times and providing five assists. The Atletico Madrid winger, meanwhile, played 44 times, clocking 10 goals and six assists.
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