Barcelona have been heavily connected with Joao Cancelo, who is said to have already agreed to personal terms with the Catalan club....CONTINUE READING
Cancelo is a right-back when defending, a second pivot when assisting in the build-up phase, an interior midfielder when moving the ball, and an attacking midfielder when creating plays on the edge of the box.
He deviates greatly from the traditional full-back. The 29-year-old knows how to recapture possession, adds significantly to the smoothness of build-ups, and possesses an exceptional dribbling technique to get out of difficult situations.
Raphinha will be free to move in-field, where he possesses the ball-striking and finishing ability to be a goal threat and offer lethal final balls, with Cancelo holding width and stretching the field.
Cancelo is a dribbling specialist who can compensate for Raphinha’s tendency to invert. Barcelona will be significantly lethal up front if the pair can combine and interchange on the right side.
Cancelo’s inclusion would be a wise decision to increase depth in the squad and, in particular, to provide Balde with an incentive to always be on his toes, as the fear of displacement will ultimately lead to consistent performances.
Balde realized the margin for mistake was quite narrow, having previously played similar position with Jordi Alba.
Barcelona already missed out on signing Brozovic once Al Nassr entered the race, and the same could happen with Joao Cancelo if any progress is delayed.
In fact, Saudi Arabia is reported to have already made an offer to Cancelo.
At 29, the player will arguably prioritize staying in Europe for the time being, but if Barcelona continues its approach, the player may be forced to join Saudi Arabia, given his fallout with Pep Guardiola….READFULL
