Barcelona star Joao Cancelo has expressed his desire to return to Benfica before retiring from football.
The 32-year-old joined Barça on loan from Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal last January, and the Catalan club is likely to try to make the move permanent next summer.
However, the Portuguese international made it clear that he dreams of returning to Benfica, hinting that his time at Camp Nou could end at the end of the current season.
“I’ve already earned more than I expected,” Cancelo told Portuguese media, “but playing for Benfica is like playing basketball, and for the love of the club, I would accept a pay cut.”
Cancelo began his professional football career with Benfica, where he played from 2007 until his loan move to Valencia in 2014 (later bought by Los Che for €15 million).
Barcelona remains hesitant about making Cancelo’s move permanent, especially given the player’s inconsistent performances and the club’s current financial difficulties.
Barcelona’s priority remains signing a new striker and a central defender, and only then will they consider Cancelo, who also has no intention of returning to the Rosén league.
