The final stepPortuguese full-back Joao Cancelo joined Al-Hilal’s training last Friday, with negotiations between Barcelona’s management and the Saudi club still short of a final agreement. Both the Catalan club and the veteran remain confident the deal will be confirmed this week. Over the last few hours, Cancelo has gone out of his way to make clear that his mind and heart lie with Barcelona.According to the Spanish newspaper “Marca”, Barcelona are fully confident of bringing Cancelo back to the Spotify Camp Nou on a permanent deal. They have negotiated with Al-Hilal for weeks, and the agreement is almost complete. Only a handful of tax details have held it up, dragging the signing out longer than expected. None of those points threaten the deal itself. They simply delay it.Tickets for Saudi Roshn League matchesBuy your ticket now!The delay in settling his return to Barcelona forced the 32-year-old Portugal international to join the Saudi side last Friday against his wishes. In the last few hours, though, he confirmed once again that his thinking begins and ends with a return to play under Hansi Flick. He sees Barcelona as his home and the Catalan dressing room as his family.On social media, Cancelo posted a picture of himself celebrating a goal in the Barcelona shirt, reaffirming his firm and unquestionable desire to continue his career with the Catalan side. Every official at the club has backed and praised the stance.Saudi Pro LeagueAl HilalHIL15 Aug 202602:00Al-FaisalyAFSClub FriendliesBaselBAS16 Aug 202622:30BarcelonaBARBarcelona’s management are working on a plan to hand the versatile full-back his third spell at the Spotify Camp Nou this week. This time it comes as a permanent purchase rather than a loan. He previously arrived on loan from Manchester City in 2023-2024 and from Al-Hilal in 2025-2026.
