Joao Cancelo was left out from Manchester City’s squad for their Premier League opener against Burnley, amid reports linking him with Barcelona.
WHAT HAPPENED? The Portuguese full-back’s name did not feature anywhere on Pep Guardiola’s team sheet as City beat Burnley on Friday night. The omission immediately fuelled further speculation around the defender who has been linked with a move to Barcelona, who today freed up transfer funds.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Cancelo’s future has been the subject of much speculation after he returned to Manchester after being jettisoned on loan to Bayern Munich in the second half of last season. After full time on Friday, Fabrizio Romano reported that Barcelona had reignited their interest in the defender. Barca recently activate another ‘economic lever’, freeing up funds for new signings.