Barcelona’s defensive target slipping out of grasp as he nears Saudi switch

Barcelona’s chances of signing Joao Cancelo from Manchester City are becoming increasingly slim as he is nearing a move to Saudi Arabia, reports Mundo Deportivo. 

The outlet claims that despite being the top target for the club’s sporting management and head coach Hansi Flick, Cancelo’s return is now in serious jeopardy.

It must be noted that Cancelo joined Barcelona last season on loan from Manchester City on the final day of the transfer market, with no transfer fee or obligatory purchase option. 

However, this time around, Manchester City are unwilling to repeat the same loan structure, which saw them gain nothing except the saving of Cancelo’s salary.

Barcelona will not pay the asking price

It has been suggested that although Barcelona are open to a purchase option, they only want to negotiate a lower price, whereas Manchester City want to recoup the significant investment they made in Cancelo when they signed him in 2019 for €65 million. 

With Cancelo’s contract running until 2027, Manchester City still have around €25 million to recoup, which Barcelona are reluctant to commit to paying.

Joao Cancelo is likely to sign for Al-Hilal this summer. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

The situation has changed significantly since last season, as Manchester City now have another suitor willing to pay the desired amount – Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal. 

Despite Cancelo’s initial preference to return to Barcelona, he is growing impatient with the club’s lack of financial capacity to meet Manchester City’s demands.

Situation has changed

Last season, Cancelo took a significant pay cut to join Barcelona, even forgiving €2 million in wages to accommodate the club’s ‘fair play’ system. 

However, with Al Hilal offering a substantial €40 million deal, Cancelo is no longer willing to make such sacrifices. 

He understands Manchester City’s position after they allowed him to join Barcelona for free last season, and now they want to maximize their return on investment.

As the transfer window draws to a close, Barcelona’s hopes of signing Cancelo are slipping away, and it seems increasingly likely that the Portuguese full-back will opt for the lucrative offer from Al Hilal instead.