Joao Cancelo will sign a loan agreement on Tuesday, according to Barcelona, as he completes a loan transfer to rejoin the team. when a loan stint from Manchester City, the Portuguese defender left the Blaugrana eighteen months ago when Barcelona failed to sign him permanently.
Inter and Juventus expressed interest in Cancelo, who was eager to leave Al-Hilal during the January transfer window, and he reached an agreement to return to Inter. At first, it appeared that internal conflicts about Cancelo’s return had caused Barcelona, who had asked about him, to abandon the notion.
However, the Catalan powerhouses made a loan offer till the end of the season following a meeting between agent Jorge Mendes and Barcelona President Joan Laporta. Cancelo is said to have held out for the transfer because he was really eager to return to Barcelona.
After arriving in Barcelona by plane on Monday, the 31-year-old had a medical examination, which he passed. Barcelona declared that the official signing will occur on Tuesday at 13:00, followed by a press conference.
Barcelona announce signing of defensive addition on loan
The La Liga leaders have revealed that Barcelona has signed Al-Hilal defender João Cancelo on loan for the duration of the current campaign. Barça has additional choices across the backline because the Portugal international can play as a left- or right-sided full-back. Since losing Iñigo Martínez to Al-Nassr last summer, Barça have been short at the back.
Additionally, they have struggled to make up the numbers since Christensen’s partial ACL rupture in December and Ronald Araújo’s desire for a mental health leave in November. Because of this, Flick has been employing converted left-back Martín and adolescent Pau Cubarsí as his centre-back partnership in recent weeks. Eric García, another alternative there, is required in midfield.
During the 2023–24 season, Cancelo made 42 appearances for Barça while on loan from Manchester City under Xavi Hernández. He must play consistently at the highest level in order to secure his place in Roberto Martínez’s Portugal team for the next World Cup this summer.
