Joao Cancelo's Future: Barcelona's Pursuit Amid Al-Hilal's Hesitation
Joao Cancelo’s future has taken another sharp turn. On paper, he belongs to Al-Hilal’s 2026/27 project. In reality, Barcelona are edging towards bringing him back to Catalonia for good.
The Saudi champions have listed the Portuguese full-back in their squad for the new season and handed him the No. 20 shirt – the number he wore in his first spell at the club and the one he carries with the Portugal national team. It looks like a statement. It is anything but a guarantee.
Barcelona push on as Al-Hilal hedge
Behind that squad list sits a deal that is virtually ready to go. Barcelona and Al-Hilal have an agreement understood to be close to €10 million, a fee that would allow the Saudi club to recover the bulk of their investment when they signed him from Manchester City.
Cancelo’s side of the equation has been settled for months. He agreed personal terms with Barça at the end of last season, after playing a key role under Hansi Flick. The German trusted him, used him, and was rewarded.
Across that spell, Cancelo made 23 appearances, scored twice and added three assists. More importantly, he became a fixture in the starting XI at a time when Alejandro Balde was wrestling with muscular problems. Flick saw a solution to several issues in one player: a full-back comfortable on both flanks, experienced at the highest level, and already adapted to the club’s demands.
Those performances convinced the coach that a permanent move was not just desirable but necessary. Deco agrees. The sporting director has kept Cancelo high on his list of priorities, even as other operations have stalled or shifted.
Yet the final step keeps dragging.
Numbers, not football, hold things up
The football part of this transfer is done. The obstacles now are fiscal and financial. Barcelona’s familiar off-pitch complications have turned what should have been a straightforward deal into another drawn-out saga.
The agreement is “practically complete”, but not yet official. Until the paperwork is signed and the announcement made, Cancelo remains an Al-Hilal player. On August 7, he reported back for pre-season training after his post-World Cup holiday, lacing up his boots and going back to work in Saudi Arabia while his future hangs in the balance.
Al-Hilal, for their part, are preparing for life with or without him. They have already moved to sign Mohammed Mahzari, a player who operates in the same position. That signing is a clear signal: they are ready if Cancelo leaves. What they want now is clarity and compensation.
Their stance is simple. Recover the outlay, avoid a loss, and move on. Barcelona, knowing exactly what they are getting, are prepared to meet the figure.
A player who already fits
For Barça, this is not a leap of faith. Cancelo knows the dressing room, understands the pressure, and has already worked under Flick. He offers tactical flexibility, able to cover both full-back roles, and gives the coach an immediate, plug-and-play option in an area that has troubled the club for years.
There is no adaptation period to worry about, no guesswork over character or mentality. He has already lived the environment and delivered within it.
And yet, for now, he remains listed in blue at Al-Hilal, wearing No. 20 in an official squad list that might never see him kick a ball for them again.
One shirt number in Saudi Arabia, one agreement in Barcelona, and a player training while he waits. The deal is close. The question is how much longer this saga can stretch before someone finally signs on the line.
