Barcelona do not rule out signing January arrival permanently – report

Since completing his return to Barcelona in the January transfer window, Joao Cancelo has had a difficult year so far.

The Portuguese international is a distant second-fiddle player for Barcelona in the fullback position, falling behind Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde in the pecking order.

With three months remaining until the end of the season, the defender has only racked up 100 minutes of league action.

Barcelona do not rule out Cancelo signing

Despite his struggles, though, Barcelona have not ruled out signing Cancelo permanently in the coming summer, reports Diario SPORT.

It appears the Catalans have given the former Juventus defender three months to prove that he can be useful to the team.

If Cancelo manages to improve his performance and obtain the letter of freedom from Al Hilal, Barcelona will do everything they can to sign him permanently.

Cancelo, for his part, is not too optimistic about his long-term future in Catalonia. He is currently an alternative to Kounde, who is not having the best of times right now.

If the Portuguese international can push for a starting role in the coming weeks, Flick will not rule out giving him more minutes.

Barcelona, after all, are keen on solving their fullback woes in the coming summer, even though their priority is to sign a new forward and a new centre-back.

Given his experience and ability to operate on both flanks, Cancelo fits the bill perfectly. But for that, he needs to show Barça he is capable of contributing to the team rather than being simply a benchwarmer.

The coming few months, therefore, could be integral for Cancelo as he looks to save his future at Barcelona.