Barcelona have stepped up their pursuit of a new right-back lately. With Jules Kounde unhappy with his role in the first team, coach Xavi Hernandez wants to sign a new option that can serve as the first-choice option next season.

One of the players Barça are targeting heading into the new season is Joao Cancelo. The Portuguese international has been a target for Barcelona for a while now and was in contention to join the club in the January transfer window.

Barcelona were not able to complete the deal due to financial constraints. But they have been in contention to sign Cancelo on a loan deal this summer. Manchester City want to offload the player on a permanent deal, but Barça are not in a position to do so.

However, according to Mundo Deportivo, the signing of Cancelo has been ruled out for Barcelona. The financial requirements for the deal are completely unviable for the club.

This comes shortly after a report which pointed out how Barça were expecting Cancelo to lower his salary demands. But with Arsenal also in the mix, the right-back is unlikely to lower his demands and may end up moving to the Emirates this summer.

This will force Blaugrana to look out for other alternatives in the market. The club’s pursuit of Ivan Fresneda has been well-documented in recent weeks. The youngster is already waiting for Barcelona’s offer and looks keen on making the move.

Barcelona’s technical staff are also yet to reach a consensus about Fresneda. Although they rate the player highly, many doubt whether he will be a good investment for the club, especially in the current scenario.

Therefore, Barcelona may end up failing to sign any right-back this summer, although the situation may drastically change if the club manage to get rid of their unwanted stars this summer.

[barcauniversal]