Rabat – Barcelona are working on a deal to keep Joao Cancelo beyond this season, as his contract with the club is set to expire at the end of the current campaign, according to Marca.
Cancelo still has one year remaining on his contract with Al-Hilal, the Saudi club are looking to profit from his departure.
The Portuguese right back arrived at Barcelona during the last winter transfer window to strengthen the defense after Andreas Christensen’s injury, since arriving, he has made a total of 12 appearances, scoring once, and playing 739 minutes across all competitions.
The Spanish Club are deciding whether to pay a transfer fee to sign him permanently or negotiate another loan deal.
Al-Hilal signed Joao Cancelo from Manchester City in 2024 for $25 million. With one year left on his contract, the Saudi club is expected to ask for at least $8 million to release him permanently.
Barcelona now are hoping that Cancelo can agree to terminate his contract with Al-Hilal, to avoid a transfer fee, but it would require the player to take a substantial pay cut, as his Al-Hilal salary is very high.
Keeping Cancelo will ensure Barcelona a strong and experienced defender who already knows the team, helping them stay solid at the back and compete better in the league and European games.
