Barcelona face growing obstacle in bid to keep veteran defensive star | OneFootball

Barcelona signed Joao Cancelo on loan from Al Hilal back in January on a six-month deal, and the Portuguese international gave a very good account of himself under Hansi Flick.

Fans were initially sceptical about the arrival of a player in his 30s who had spent close to two seasons in Saudi Arabia.

However, Cancelo put all doubts to bed with his performances at left-back. By the time the season ended, he had displaced Alejandro Balde from the starting berth.

Barcelona understandably want to keep the Portuguese defender on a permanent basis. However, as per Mundo Deportivo, negotiations between Barcelona and Al Hilal have seen no meaningful progress in recent weeks.

The lack of advancement is significant because Barcelona would ideally like greater clarity on several squad situations before the start of pre-season.

Cancelo’s future remains unresolved

Barcelona are facing difficulties. (Photo by Carlos Rodrigues/Getty Images)

For much of the past year, there has been an expectation that Barcelona would eventually attempt to keep Cancelo beyond his temporary spell.

The defender has become an important tactical option under Flick. Whether operating at right-back, left-back or stepping into midfield zones during possession, his value is visible.

That said, Barcelona’s interest has always needed to align with financial reality. Any agreement with Al Hilal would have to come on terms that are suitable for the Catalan club.

As of now, there seems to be a gap between the two parties and work needs to be done in negotiations.

Barcelona may need alternatives

Cancelo wants to play for Barcelona. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)

The concern for Barcelona here is that this situation is looking increasingly uncertain. The Catalan club have several priorities to look at this summer.

While Cancelo remains highly valued by Flick, sporting admiration alone will not be enough to complete the operation.

The longer this drags on, the further Barcelona will be pushed into looking at alternatives. For now, Cancelo’s future is as open as it can possibly be.

Unless there is movement from one side in the coming weeks, this is a transfer saga that could drag on for a while and come to a close towards the end of the summer window.