Barcelona initiate contact for former defender over possible January return – Romano | OneFootball

Joao Cancelo had a short stint at FC Barcelona, but made a notable impact during his spell on loan from Manchester City in 2023/24.

Cancelo accumulated 3,318 minutes that season under Xavi Hernandez, the fourth-highest total in the squad, across 42 matches, scoring four goals and providing five assists.

However, financial constraints meant that his signing was not made permanent in the summer of 2024, and he ended up signing for Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia.

Joao Cancelo set to leave Al-Hilal, Barcelona in contact

Now, in a major development, Fabrizio Romano reports that Cancelo is all set to leave Al-Hilal in the upcoming January transfer window.

Furthermore, Barcelona have made contact with the relevant parties to obtain further details about his situation.

At the same time, though, Inter Milan have also approached Al-Hilal to enquire about the conditions for a loan deal and explore the potential structure of the deal.

Cancelo suffered a hamstring injury at the start of the season and was sidelined for several months. He has not played at all this season and Al-Hilal boss Simone Inzaghi wants to continue relying on the same players he has used during the first half of the campaign.

Cancelo to return to Barcelona? (Photo by Abdullah Ahmed/Getty Images)

As a result, the Portuguese defender was not expected to have opportunities and will now leave the club.

A short-term fix?

Barcelona’s sporting department are exploring the market to bring in a defender after Andreas Christensen was diagnosed with a partial tear of the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

And while Cancelo would not be a direct replacement, his arrival at Barcelona would provide relief for Jules Kounde at right-back and open up the possibility for the Frenchman to move into the centre of defence.

It would also free Eric Garcia from duties on the right flank, allowing him to operate as a centre-back or defensive midfielder.

The priority had been to sign a centre-back on loan this January, but the ‘Cancelo route’ could end up convincing the sporting department and coaching staff because of the tactical alternatives it offers, provided an economic agreement can be reached.

Cancelo, for his part, has never forgotten Barcelona and has stated this publicly on several occasions, admitting that he watches matches involving his former club. So, he is more than likely to be open to a return.