Reports: Barcelona look to rising La Liga star Joao Concelo to plug big hole

What’s the story

Barcelona have identified their major pain point – the position of right back – and as per Spanish publication Marca, they have renewed their interest in the Portuguese right-back whose performances have caught the eye despite the shambles around him at Valencia.

In case you didn’t know

Barcelona had made attempts to sign the young lad during negotiations for Paco Alcacer and Andre Gomes last year, but those didn’t fructify as Barcelona had financial restrictions at the time. This season he’s matured into a world-class right back: He has a goal, and 2 assists this season, and defensively he’s been imperious in what has otherwise been an error-prone defence averaging 2.5 tackles, 1.9 interceptions and a block and clearances per game. Tireless and intelligent on, and off, the ball he is also Portugal’s first-choice right back at the moment.

The heart of the matter

As is well known, Barcelona’s first choice for right back has been Hector Bellerin, but the Spaniard’s asking price (reported to be around 50 million euros) and annual salary (approx. 7 million euros) has put them off. With Barcelona going through some tough times financially, they simply can’t afford their first choice and have now abandoned their pursuit, it is reported.

Meanwhile, Barca’s in-house talents are simply not enough. Sergi Roberto has done adequately, but his preferred, and best, position is central midfield, while Aleix Vidal had an initial falling out with the management, and then suffered a long-term injury. The search for a good right-back has been on since Dani Alves’ departure to Juventus, and it may finally have come to an end with Joao Cancelo.

Also, Read – Scout report: Joao Cancelo - Portugal's marauding right-back

What Next

The biggest decision that Barcelona’s hierarchy will have to make is obviously the appointment of the new manager to replace Luis Enrique, but hot on the heels of that is the decision to buy a right back, and it will be important for them to choose correctly. Cancelo represents the easy option at the moment, although they are also looking at Monaco’s Djibril Sidibe - who has also had a brilliant season with the surprise Ligue 1 leaders.

Author’s Take

Not only is Cancelo a pragmatic choice financially, he also marks a good footballing buy. This is a clear case of win-win for both parties, and Barcelona ought to sew this up immediately.