Barcelona Test Waters With Loan Move For João Cancelo From Al Hilal: Report

Joao Cancelo might make a move from Al Hilal to Inter Milan or Barcelona (Picture credit: AFP)

FC Barcelona have sent a preliminary loan bid for star full-back Joao Cancel to Al Hilal, according to Fabrizio Romano. The deal is expected to cover a portion of the player’s salary, although few details regarding the move are available as of yet.

Last week, Al Hilal held in-depth talks with Inter Milan, who had also shown interest in Cancelo and that deal is now considered closed, with the player keen on the move. However, with Barcelona entering the race, Cancelo would prefer a switch to the Spanish club if choosing between the two options.

All of this will matter only if Barcelona’s proposal matches the appeal of Inter’s offer, in which case Cancelo’s preference would prove decisive. Without Barça’s interest, he would already have put pen to paper on a deal with Inter.

Cancelo earns €18 million per year, according to reports and Barcelona’s ongoing financial constraints make it tough for the club to cover even a portion of that salary. Al Hilal still owe Cancelo €9 million for the current season, while Inter’s proposed deal is said to cover between €3.5 million and €4 million.

Talks are centred on the financial structure of the deal, with Barcelona favouring a loan move while covering a portion of Cancelo’s salary.

Cancelo, 31, spent the 2023–24 season on loan at Barcelona from Manchester City, making 42 appearances across all competitions and scoring four goals.

According to a report in ESPN, I cancel is open to returning to Europe, with Inter also keen on acquiring his services.

Barcelona coach Which one Flick said last week that he is hopeful of adding another defender in January after Andreas Christensen was ruled out for the next four months with an ACL injury.

Star centre-back Ronald Araújo has been sidelined since November after taking a mental health break, leaving teenager Pau Cubarsi and converted left-back Gerard Martín to form the club’s first-choice centre-back pairing in recent weeks.