In a significant development in the transfer market, Portuguese star João Cancelo , the right-back for Al-Hilal, has made his final decision regarding his footballing future, choosing his next destination after a period of speculation and media back-and-forth. Reliable reports indicate that the player has decided to leave the Asian champions and not continue in Saudi Arabia, preferring a return to European football through his former club.
Details of Cancelo's decision to return to Barcelona
According to transfer journalist Mateo Moretto, writing on the X platform, Cancelo's first and only wish is to join FC Barcelona . Moretto confirmed that an agreement between Barcelona and Al-Hilal is very close, paving the way for the Portuguese full-back's return to Camp Nou.
The reports added that Cancelo showed great flexibility and willingness to make an important economic sacrifice and reduce his salary, in order to facilitate his registration in light of the financial crisis that the Catalan club is suffering from, and his strong desire to wear the Blaugrana jersey again and compete in La Liga and the Champions League.
Background to the conflict: Inter Milan's refusal and Inzaghi's stance
On the other hand, Cancelo's name has been linked with a return to Serie A, specifically to Inter Milan , the club he previously played for and where he delivered outstanding performances. However, sources indicate that the player is no longer in coach Simone Inzaghi's , and that Cancelo himself prefers the sporting project in Spain to a return to Serie A at the moment.
This rejection comes in the context of the player’s desire to settle with a club where he feels a sense of belonging, as he previously found what he was looking for in Barcelona’s style of play, which is based on possession and attack, and which suits Cancelo’s high skill abilities.
Context of the event: The foreign player crisis at Al-Hilal and the Lodi scenario
From Al-Hilal's perspective, the management seems keen to avoid a repeat of the Renan Lodi scenario, carefully managing the foreign player roster to ensure maximum benefit from the available squad. Cancelo's departure will open the door for the club to strengthen its ranks with new players or reshuffle its foreign players to align with the coaching staff's vision for domestic and continental competitions.
It is worth mentioning that Joao Cancelo is considered one of the best full-backs in the world, and his career is distinguished by playing for major European clubs such as Manchester City, Juventus, Bayern Munich, and Barcelona, which makes his moves in the transfer market a global sporting event awaited by football fans.
