The much-anticipated return of João Cancelo to Barcelona is finally materializing, as the Portuguese international is set to rejoin the Spanish champions as a free agent. This development follows his successful agreement with Al Hilal to terminate his existing contract, paving the way for his third spell at the club, this time on a permanent basis. The 32-year-old had a year remaining on his contract in Saudi Arabia, but his unwavering desire to secure a lasting move to Barcelona has culminated in a resolution that sees him released without a transfer fee. He is scheduled to arrive in Barcelona on Tuesday to finalize the move and sign his contract, marking a significant moment in this protracted transfer saga.
Cancelo had already reached an agreement on personal terms with Barcelona back in June, with the primary obstacle being his contractual situation at Al Hilal. This hurdle has now been overcome, with both the player and the Saudi club reaching a mutual understanding for an early termination of his contract. According to reliable sources, Cancelo will once again link up with Barcelona, this time as a free agent, building on his previous two loan spells. His initial arrival was for the 2023-24 season from Manchester City. After a brief return to Al Hilal, he rejoined Barcelona on loan for the latter half of the most recent season. This second stint proved instrumental, as Cancelo played a crucial role in Barcelona’s LaLiga triumph and openly expressed his wish to remain with the club permanently.
The path to a permanent move had previously appeared challenging due to Al Hilal’s initial valuation of approximately €10 million, which reportedly escalated to €15 million. Barcelona’s preference, however, was to avoid a substantial transfer fee, and the eventual termination of Cancelo’s contract with the Saudi club has effectively removed this financial impediment. Consequently, he is now poised to complete the transfer without Barcelona needing to engage in further transfer fee negotiations with Al Hilal.
While this will be Cancelo’s third engagement with Barcelona, it signifies his first permanent signing. His initial spell commenced in August 2023, when he joined on a loan from Manchester City for the 2023-24 campaign. Financial constraints at the time prevented Barcelona from making that arrangement a permanent one, leading to Cancelo’s subsequent move from City to Al Hilal. He then returned to Barcelona in January 2026 on another six-month loan from the Saudi club, playing a vital role in securing the LaLiga title. The Portugal international has now finally achieved the permanent return he had diligently sought. Before his distinguished career with Manchester City and Barcelona, Cancelo rose through the ranks at Benfica and also had stints with Valencia, Inter Milan, and Juventus. He even spent a portion of 2023 on loan at Bayern Munich before his move to Al Hilal in 2024. His impressive collection of accolades includes league titles in Portugal, England, Italy, Germany, and Spain, making him a unique player this century to have won the top-flight title in four of Europe’s five major leagues.
Cancelo’s arrival marks Barcelona’s fourth acquisition of the summer transfer window, following Anthony Gordon, Karim Adeyemi, and Jesse Bisiwu. The club’s recruitment efforts are clearly gaining momentum, with reports also indicating that Rodri has agreed to a €76.5 million ($88.4 million) transfer from Manchester City on the same day. This potential reunion would see Cancelo and his former City teammate join forces in a Barcelona squad that has successfully retained the Spanish league title and is actively seeking further reinforcements. Barcelona is also actively pursuing a striker, with Atlético Madrid’s Julián Álvarez reportedly their prime target, while a further number nine and potentially a center-back remain under consideration. Following Sunday’s 5-2 friendly victory over Basel, manager Hansi Flick acknowledged that further transfer activity could still unfold. “We will see what happens, but it could be that we are still lacking something,” Flick remarked. For Cancelo, however, the period of uncertainty is largely over. After two temporary stays in Catalonia and an increasingly complex tenure in Saudi Arabia, he is now set to return to Barcelona this Tuesday with the opportunity to finally establish the Camp Nou as his permanent home ground.
