Barcelona president Joan Laporta says the club are going to keep João Félix and João Cancelo

Barcelona president Joan Laporta took advantage of his recent visit to Dubai to make some intriguing declarations about the future of the two ‘Joãos’. The azulgrana executive was demonstrably delighted with the performance of both players and assured that they were working to be able to seal their futures in Cataluña for next season.

“Cancelo and Felix have been playing at a very high level since they arrived”, he said, “the club could keep them for the next few seasons. We plan to start negotiations for them soon. We have good relationships with Manchester City and Atlético Madrid.”

How much would Félix and Cancelo cost?

It should be remembered that Laporta was the main champion of bringing João Félix to the LaLiga title holders, with the president leading the negotiations to finalise the one-year loan agreement. The footballer himself, who made clear his desire to play for Barcelona months before signing, has also been offering clear indications that he does not plan to return to the club from the capital under any circumstances.

The problem is that Atlético have in mind a value close to €80 million for Félix, a completely impossible fee for Barcelona, who could stretch to somewhere between €20m and €25m at most.

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‘This season we will win titles’

An easier prospect, at least in economic terms, is a potential Cancelo deal, as City do not want the player and Barcelona could offer around €20 million to keep the Portuguese defender in Spain.

What seems clear is that Deco certainly has his work cut out for him, as one of the main tasks that the president has set for him is to make sure these two players’ futures are settled for next season. Before finishing his public appearance, Laporta also took the opportunity to give a message of optimism to Barcelona fans in the Middle East: “This season we will win titles and we will all enjoy them”.