FC BARCELONA SIGNINGS 2025
Joao Cancelo: Barça doubts his signing, Al-Hilal responds
Published New:28/06/2025 - 23:19h
Updated New:6/07/2025 - 05:14h
Joao Cancelo has returned to Barça's radar. However, the Portuguese player's return is not entirely convincing to the coaching staff or the board. Is the bet on the Portuguese player too risky?
In recent days, Joao Cancelo has once again been mentioned as a possible reinforcement for FC Barcelona. The Portuguese international is showing a very interesting level with Al-Hilal in the Club World Cup and already has 11 assists in 36 games with the Saudi team, in addition to a couple of goals.
According to the latest information, the Portuguese player could leave Saudi Arabia for a figure close to 15 million euros. With Barça, Cancelo played 42 official matches in 23/24, adding 4 goals and 5 assists.
Although the Barça board considered him an important piece, Manchester City ruled out negotiating a new loan. Finally, Al-Hilal signed him for 25 million euros last summer.
Although he is a versatile full-back (he can play on both sides) and with an offensive vocation, his very high salary and age (31 years), in addition to his usual inconsistency (he alternates matches at a very high level with forgettable performances) raise doubts regarding his return to the Blaugrana team.
Al-Hilal will not listen to offers for Joao Cancelo this summer
In addition, regarding the rumors about the possible interest of Barça or any other European team, the Al-Hilal board came out denying any negotiation for the transfer of the Portuguese player. For the Saudi team, Joao is non-transferable even if high offers arrive this summer.
"Cancelo is an important player within the team and an influential and strong player. In addition, the board and the coaching staff, led by (Simone) Inzaghi, are fully convinced that he will continue in the team, given the urgent need for his services," a club source leaked to '365Scores', quoted by 'SPORT'.
The Barreiro native has two more years of contract and annually earns 15.3 million net with the Riyadh team. Beyond his love for Barcelona and the desire to return to the elite with the Culés, everything indicates that the defender will stay in the Arab team, with a good run in the Club World Cup.
Simone Inzaghi's team advanced to the round of 16 as second in Group H, behind Real Madrid. The Arab team will be the rival of Manchester City, Cancelo's former team.
Barça will sign another full-back this summer, but the priority is the left side
Although the possible departure of Héctor Fort leaves the team without a natural right-back in the first team, both the board and the coaching staff seem to lean more towards the option of signing another left-back.
Understanding that Gerard Martín has several interesting options to leave in the summer, the club has set its sights on Alejandro Grimaldo as a possible replacement for the '35'.
The Bayer Leverkusen full-back could arrive for a figure less than 20 million euros, an affordable amount for Barça. Unlike Joao Cancelo, the Spanish international receives a much more discreet salary (4.5 'kilos' net).
This, added to his past in the Barça youth academy (he left the subsidiary in 2016) and the good level he showed at Leverkusen (he has 16 goals and 33 assists in 99 games) make him a very interesting reinforcement.
On the right, Barça would give total confidence to Jules Koundé and Eric García, the latter waiting to renew his contract. The Sabadell native responded very well as a right-back in the last month of 24/25, after the Frenchman's injury.
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