Joao Cancelo arrives in Barcelona as loan from Al Hilal nears completion

According to Goal, Joao Cancelo has been spotted arriving in Barcelona ahead of a loan move from Al Hilal.

Cancelo previously spent the 2023-24 season on loan at Barcelona after leaving Manchester City, where he made 154 appearances and scored nine goals before a short spell at Bayern Munich. He joined Al Hilal in August 2024 for around £21 million and has three goals in 45 appearances for the Saudi club. Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has said Cancelo can give them "good options" at the back and that he would "appreciate" the player joining, while a video circulated on social media — including by Fabrizio Romano — suggests the Portugal international is on the cusp of a loan for the rest of the season; it is thought completion was deliberately held off until after the Spanish Super Cup final in Jeddah, which Flick's side won against Real Madrid.

Barcelona face a congested schedule between Thursday and 31 January, with six games including a Copa del Rey round of 16 tie at Santander, Champions League fixtures against Slavia Prague and Copenhagen, and La Liga matches with Real Sociedad, Real Oviedo and Elche. It remains to be seen when Cancelo will make his second debut for the club.

Key Topics

Sports, Joao Cancelo, Barcelona, Al Hilal, Hansi Flick, Spanish Super Cup