Barcelona handed Joao Cancelo ultimatum as Al Hilal rule out new loan deal | OneFootball

Barcelona have been handed an ultimatum as they look to pursue another deal for Joao Cancelo.

According to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona have been told that only a permanent deal will suffice this summer, with Al Hilal unwilling to sanction a loan extension.

Barcelona are on the cusp of successfully defending their La Liga crown and have already started making plans for the summer transfer window.

The La Liga champions elect are also scratching their heads on how to navigate the transfer market with a relatively empty coffer.

Over the past few years, the loan and free agent market has been Barcelona’s preferred shopping ground, and they’re looking to repeat that trick this summer.

The only problem with that is that Al Hilal aren’t having it. Cancelo ditched his mega payday in the Saudi Pro League (SPL) to return to Barcelona on a six-month loan deal in January.

He had only joined Al Hilal from Manchester City in the summer of 2024, but soon found out that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.

Fortunately for him, six months was enough to convince Barcelona he’s worth keeping after returning a goal and four assists in 18 games across all competitions.

The majority of his tally came in La Liga, where he has also helped keep three clean sheets, created five big chances, and won 56% of his total duels.

He also averages four ball recoveries per 90 minutes, along with 1.8 tackles and 1.3 clearances.

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick wants to keep the versatile fullback, but the situation is far from straightforward, with the SPL giants unwilling to negotiate another loan deal.

Cancelo has one year left on his contract with his parent club, who are determined to cash in rather than let him walk without receiving a dime in transfer fees.

At the moment, there hasn’t been a formal conversation between the two clubs. But the four-time intercontinental champions plan to address Cancelo’s future at the end of the season.