The FC Barcelona team that Hansi Flick got after his appointment as the head coach of the Blaugranes was significantly different from the one that Xavi fielded in the last season.
Important players had left the Catalan club in the last summer transfer window, including the likes of İlkay Gündoğan, João Felix, Oriol Romeu, Sergi Roberto, and João Cancelo.
One can argue that it is the latter, João Cancelo, who is being missed the most, as Barcelona are looking for a new right-back.
In fact, Deco was counting on the €18m-rated Portuguese defender to remain at the club for Hansi Flick’s project, but Manchester City made it almost difficult to obtain him on another loan, while the Blaugranes also did not have much salary margin.
As a result, he returned to Manchester City last summer, and after waiting for as long as possible, he ultimately decided to join the Saudi side Al-Hilal, as it became increasingly clear that he would not be able to remain at Barcelona for another season.
Now, he is an undisputed starter at Al-Hilal, however, SPORT reports that he is still thinking about a return to Barcelona and is already sending signals to his former teammates at the Catalan club with whom he still maintains contact.
Barcelona's Portuguese defender #02 Joao Cancelo reacts during the UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg football match between FC Barcelona and Paris SG at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys in Barcelona on April 16, 2024.
Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images
However, returning to the Spanish club will be almost impossible for him, as Deco wants a younger player to deputize for Jules Kounde on the right flank.
Similarly, Cancelo’s performances last season had declined as the months went by. He started the season very strongly but was not really great in the final stretch of the season. In fact, some of his mistakes proved to be very costly for the Blaugranes in the crucial stretch of the season.
For these reasons, it is quite difficult to see him returning to Barcelona any time soon, despite the fact that a player of his characteristics would be quite welcome at the Catalan club.