Felix, Cancelo exit chaos due to Barcelona interest - source

Posted Monday, July 01, 2024 by ESPN

Barcelona deleted a club statement saying farewell to Joao Felix and Joao Cancelo because they still hope to re-sign the Portugal duo, a source told ESPN.

Barca thanked Marcos Alonso, Felix and Cancelo for their time with the club on Sunday as their respective deals came to an end.

Alonso's contract has expired and he has been released as a free agent, while Felix and Cancelo's loans from Atletico Madrid and Manchester City respectively are also up on June 30.

However, Barca later deleted Felix and Cancelo's names from the statement and all social media posts.

A source told ESPN the reason was because the intention is that they both extend their stay with the club and the statement made it sound as if the door had closed.

Felix, who scored 10 goals in 44 Barca appearances last season, returns to Atletico, while Cancelo, who played 42 times, goes back to Man City for now, although both are at Euro 2024 with Portugal.

However, the Barca hierarchy remain in constant contact with the duo's agent, Jorge Mendes, pending clarity on their financial situation this summer.

Barca are unable to make assurances over registering new contracts or signings with LaLiga as they remain in breach of their league-imposed spending limit.

The Catalan club need to raise money either through player transfers, reducing wages or new revenue streams before adding additions to the squad.

Despite that uncertainty, the source confirmed Felix and Cancelo remain targets following the appointment of new coach Hansi Flick as Xavi Hernandez's replacement.

Joao Felix and Joao Cancelo spent last season on loan at Barcelona.