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At this point, it is well known that Barcelona see two candidates to be best placed to arrive as their next starting right-back – Joao Cancelo and Ivan Fresneda.
Both players come with their sets of pros and cons and have the backing of different parts of the Catalan club’s administration.
With Xavi and Deco not seeing eye to eye on that front, the club’s next step has been under a cloud of doubt for a while now.
According to reports from Gerard Romero, there is a possibility that Barcelona sign both Cancelo and Fresneda this summer. This comes as a surprise considering the club’s tight finances, but not without a lot of merit.
A comprehensive solution
If the Catalans manage to bring both defenders to Barcelona this summer, it would allow Xavi Hernandez to chart up a long-term plan with ease.
The Manchester City right-back has no dearth of experience playing at the highest level. He may not offer longevity given his age but can serve as an able starter at the club for at least another three seasons.
In the meantime, Barcelona can hope to send Fresneda out on loan to hone his skills and return as an experienced campaigner.
Still just 18, there is a lot for the Real Valladolid star to learn before he hopefully slots into Xavi’s plans in a few years.
Barcelona are set to recover just over €25 million from Ousmane Dembele’s sale, for the player himself will get a fair chunk of the €50 million private clause.
The La Liga champions would have to shell out €10 million to sign the Manchester City star on a season-long loan deal, while his wages could also be an issue.
A further amount of €40 million would be warranted if they wish to make it permanent.
Frenseda’s release clause, meanwhile, stands at €20 million although Barcelona are looking for formulae to bring that number down to €8 million.
It would thus be impractical for the Catalans to sign both players permanently this summer. The only working option, it appears, would be to take Cancelo on loan for a season and sign Fresneda permanently before sending him out on loan.
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