Joao Cancelo is close to returning to Barcelona after the Catalan club submitted an official offer to his current club, Al-Hilal, in the past few hours.
Cancelo is looking for a new club after coach Simone Inzaghi decided to remove him from Al-Hilal’s domestic squad. The Portuguese player has already received several attractive offers from European clubs.
Inter Milan had already reached an agreement with Al-Hilal to sign Cancelo, but the player himself has not yet agreed to the Italian club’s offer.
Journalist Fabrizio Romano reported that Barcelona submitted an offer to Al-Hilal on Monday evening to sign Cancelo on loan until the end of the season.
The offer includes Barcelona covering a small percentage of Cancelo’s hefty salary, in line with the club’s current financial difficulties. It remains unclear whether the offer will include an option to buy next summer.
Saudi media outlets indicated that despite an agreement between Inter Milan and Al-Hilal, the Saudi club does not intend to stand in the way of Cancelo’s wishes. Given his preference for Barcelona, the Barça offer will ultimately be accepted.
Cancelo previously played for Barcelona on loan during the 2023-24 season, making 42 appearances across all competitions, scoring four goals and providing five assists.
