Joao Cancelo to rejoin Al Hilal pre-season as Saudi club open to sale amid Barcelona interest

Joao Cancelo will report back to Al Hilal’s pre-season training camp in Austria on Wednesday, but the Saudi Pro League side are prepared to listen to offers for the Portugal defender, according to reports in Spain and Saudi Arabia.

The 32-year-old full-back returns to Al Hilal after a post-World Cup break, having featured for Portugal at the 2026 tournament.

Saudi newspaper Arriyadiyah says Al Hilal’s hierarchy have no objection to selling Cancelo, who has one year remaining on his contract, with the player also understood to be keen on a move away.

Cancelo joined Al Hilal in the summer of 2024 from Manchester City on a deal running until 30 June 2027. He has played 45 games for the Riyadh club in all competitions, scoring three goals and providing 14 assists, before spending the second half of last season on loan at Barcelona, where he made 23 appearances, scoring twice and setting up three goals.

Al Hilal firm on valuation

Spanish outlet Sport reports that Al Hilal will not allow Cancelo to join Barcelona for what they consider to be a cut-price fee, despite head coach Simone Inzaghi not seeing the full-back as a key part of his plans.

Barcelona are hoping to secure a permanent deal for less than €10m, but, according to the same report, have yet to submit a formal offer.

Cancelo, who played last season at Camp Nou on loan from Al Hilal, is due to link up again with the Saudi club following his holiday after the World Cup, in line with the plans reported by Arriyadiyah.

Barcelona agreement with Cancelo reported

A separate report from Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo, published in recent days, states that Cancelo has made clear his desire to stay at Barcelona on a permanent basis once his international commitments with Portugal at the World Cup are over.

That is despite the fact he remains under contract with Al Hilal until June 2027.

Mundo Deportivo claims Barcelona have already reached an agreement in principle with Cancelo over a two-year contract. The focus of negotiations is now said to be between Barcelona and Al Hilal, who have reportedly reduced their financial demands from €15m to around €10m including add-ons.

According to the report, Barcelona’s hierarchy are calm and confident about completing the transfer and believe a deal for Cancelo will be finalised during the current summer window.

Career path across Europe

Cancelo’s time at Barcelona has come in two separate spells. Across those periods – the 2023-24 season and the second half of last season – he has played 65 matches for the Catalan club, scoring six goals and contributing nine assists.

Before his move to Al Hilal in 2024, Cancelo had already built a high-profile career in Europe. He previously represented Benfica, Inter, Juventus, Manchester City and Bayern Munich, winning domestic titles in multiple countries.

His future now appears to hinge on whether Barcelona can meet Al Hilal’s asking price, with the player due back in Simone Inzaghi’s squad while talks continue.