Barcelona and Hansi Flick reach agreement on future of loan star Joao Cancelo | OneFootball

Barcelona have a number of important transfer decisions to make over the next few months, and one of those will be on Joao Cancelo. The 31-year-old has been very impressive since joining on loan from Al Hilal in January, and in recent weeks, talks have increased regarding a possible permanent stay at the Spotify Camp Nou.

Cancelo produced his latest top performance during Barcelona’s comeback victory over Atletico Madrid on Sunday, which included playing a major role in the Catalans’ late winner. His attacking contributions have delighted supporters, and those within Can Barca are equally enthused.

As per Sport, the message within Barcelona regarding Cancelo is clear: “He has to stay”. His teammates are desperate for him to stay beyond the summer, and Hansi Flick would be equally delighted if an agreement was reached with Al Hilal.

Summer deal will not be straightforward

The problem for Barcelona is that a deal for Cancelo is unlikely to be done on their terms. They want to secure his services on a free transfer, but Al Hilal have made it clear that the Catalans will need to pay in order to keep him. Given they will have limited funds to target more pressing areas of Flick’s squad, it will be tough to sign him permanently.

With this in mind, Barcelona have identified backup targets in case they are unable to sign Cancelo for a third time. They would much prefer to keep the Portugal international, but as long as Al Hilal do not relent on their stance of commanding a significant fee, the likelihood is that he won’t stay.

For now, Cancelo will be focused on ending his second Barcelona spell on a high. The time will come for his future to be spoken about, and that may not be until after the 2026 World Cup.