Barcelona are on the verge of signing João Cancelo permanently from Al-Hilal, with RAC1 reporting that the two clubs have reached a verbal agreement on a fee of no more than €10m including bonuses. COPE corroborates the figure, reporting that an agreement is now almost complete.
A loan that became unavoidable to make permanent
The Portuguese full-back spent the second half of the 2025-26 campaign at Camp Nou on loan from the Saudi side, making 23 appearances, scoring twice and registering four assists. Those numbers, combined with the impression he made on Hansi Flick – who had reportedly been surprised by the quality of his performances from early in the loan – were enough to convince the club that making the deal permanent was the right course of action.
Cancelo had struggled to settle in Saudi Arabia from the outset, and the situation worsened when Al-Hilal left him out at a stage when he needed match rhythm to arrive at the World Cup in form. According to RAC1, he made clear to the club that he had no intention of returning, which left Barcelona negotiating from a position of strength. Portugal were eventually eliminated by Spain in the round of 16, and Cancelo’s attention has since turned fully to his club future.
Fee, contract, and what Cancelo is sacrificing
Al-Hilal’s willingness to drop their asking price has allegedly allowed the deal to move at this relatively early stage, with the €10m fee representing a markdown on what the Saudi club had originally sought. Super-agent Jorge Mendes is said to have been heavily involved in the negotiations.
Cancelo himself will take a salary cut to make the move work, but according to RAC1 he is prepared to accept those terms in order to continue competing at the highest level and remain at a club where he feels settled. The contract on the table is a two-year deal with an option for a third year.
Squad consequences and what comes next
Cancelo’s arrival is expected to accelerate decisions on Héctor Fort and Xavi Espart, with both a sale and a loan considered viable outcomes for each. Barcelona had surveyed the left-back market more broadly during the window, but Cancelo was always the first choice and the club moved accordingly once Portugal’s World Cup ended.
There is also low-level speculation – flagged by Sports Mole and RAC1 – linking Marc Casadó to a Saudi move, though reports suggest that is an entirely separate situation and not connected to the mechanics of this transfer. Cancelo is expected to join the squad shortly once the paperwork is formalised.
