Joao Cancelo signals Barcelona return as Al Hilal deal moves towards final approval

Joao Cancelo has moved closer to a return to Barcelona after posting a message on social media that appeared to point clearly towards the Catalan club.

The 32-year-old Portugal full-back shared a photograph of himself from behind wearing a Barcelona shirt, accompanied by an hourglass emoji. The message was interpreted as an indication that his return to Spotify Camp Nou could now be only a matter of time.

Barcelona and Al Hilal agreed several weeks ago on a deal for Cancelo worth 10m euros. However, Saudi media reports in recent days have claimed that Al Hilal increased their asking price to 15m euros.

According to Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona may complete the move without paying a transfer fee. The proposed arrangement would instead involve Al Hilal signing Marc Casado, who is no longer part of Hansi Flick’s plans, for a fee below 40m euros.

That figure is understood to be the amount Barcelona had been seeking for the midfielder. Under the reported structure, the value of Casado’s transfer would allow Cancelo to move to Barcelona without a separate fee being paid for him.

Cancelo was left out of Al Hilal’s squad for their opening match against Al-Faisaly last Friday. Al Hilal manager Simone Inzaghi said the player was continuing to train with the squad as normal.

“In terms of his future and whether he stays, that is a matter for the management,” the Italian added.

Al Hilal currently have 13 foreign players in their squad, while Saudi Pro League regulations allow each club to register only 10 foreign players. That restriction is another factor in the club’s attempts to resolve Cancelo’s situation.

The Portugal international impressed during his loan spell with Barcelona last season, after joining the club from Al Hilal in the second half of the campaign. His performances convinced Flick to approve the sporting department’s efforts to sign the versatile full-back on a permanent basis.

Cancelo can operate on either flank and has previously been used in several defensive and midfield roles. Barcelona’s management have therefore continued to pursue an agreement despite the uncertainty over the transfer fee.

The agreement between Barcelona and Cancelo is now said to be complete. The only outstanding issue is Al Hilal’s approval for the deal to go through.

Cancelo’s latest social-media post has added to speculation that the transfer is close, although the move remains dependent on the Saudi club accepting the proposed terms involving Casado.