Portugal international rejoined the club on loan in January and helped secure the league title
Barcelona have agreed a permanent deal for Joao Cancelo after the Portugal full-back impressed during his loan spell at the club. The player is now set to sign a two-year contract.
Cancelo will join from Al-Hilal in a transfer worth around €10m, becoming Barcelona’s second signing of the summer window after the €80m deal for Anthony Gordon. Cancelo returned to the club in January on loan and played a key role as Barcelona secured the league title.
The 32-year-old has made 23 appearances during his latest spell at Camp Nou, scoring two goals. He had previously spent the 2023-24 season on loan at Barcelona from Manchester City, before joining Al-Hilal last August in a deal worth about €25m.
The Portugal international was part of his country’s squad at this summer’s World Cup and started all five matches before being substituted at half-time in group games against Uzbekistan and Colombia.
Cancelo left Manchester City after five years at the club, where he won three Premier League titles. He also spent the second half of the 2022-23 season on loan at Bayern Munich, helping the German side win the Bundesliga before moving to Barcelona.
Barcelona have also made a €20m bid for Borussia Dortmund’s Karim Adeyemi, although this was swiftly rejected as it fell well short of the German club’s valuation.
In terms of exits, Robert Lewandowski left Camp Nou after his contract ended to join Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer, while Marcus Rashford has returned to Manchester United following the end of his loan. Meanwhile, academy graduates Inaki Pena and Ansu Fati have been moved on permanently.
