Premier League star would prefer a move to Real Madrid despite recent links to Barcelona - Reports

According to Abend Zeitung's Koch Maximillan, Joao Cancelo prefers a move to Real Madrid despite Barcelona's interest. The Portugal international is expected to be on the move in the summer.

His relationship with Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is seemingly broken. The player was loaned out to Bayern Munich in January and after returning from loan, he is expected to leave again in the summer.

Cancelo has been a quality player for City over the course of the last few years. He has made 154 appearances for the Cityzens so far, scoring nine and setting up 22.

Cancelo is one of the top full-backs in the world and can play on both flanks. He has attracted the interest of both Real Madrid and Barcelona. Dani Carvajal has slowed down in recent seasons and Alvaro Odriozola could be heading the exit door. Hence, Real Madrid have identified Cancelo as a potential replacement.

Barca, meanwhile, are also keen on bolstering the position. While Jules Kounde deputized as a right-back this past season, the Blaugrana want to bolster their ranks.

The Portuguese's decision could become a deciding factor in a potential transfer. Reports suggest he prefers to pursue his career at the Santiago Bernabeu.

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Real Madrid's Luka Modric and Barcelona's Frenkie de Jong share mutual praise

Both Luka Modric and Frenkie de Jong have been midfield pillars for their respective clubs. While Modric has been a stalwart for Real Madrid, De Jong is one of Barcelona's leading midfielders.

The two stars recently shared mutual praise as Croatia and Netherlands clashed in the UEFA Nations League semi-finals. Speaking to the media ahead of the game, Modric said about De Jong (via Metro):

“For me, Frenkie is definitely the best Dutch player. The game starts with him. It’s always a pleasure to play against him. He’s young, he’s got talent and he’s a good guy. A top player, one of the players I like to watch. He’s special.”

After Croatia defeated the Dutch 4-2 in extra time, De Jong said:

"Luka Modrić is amazing, I enjoy watching him a lot, his technical skills are amazing and there is no doubt that he can continue to play at the highest level. He was the best on the pitch last night."

Despite the rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona at the club level, class recognizes class. Modric and De Jong's mutual praise proves the fact that top players never shy away from recognizing another's quality.