Barcelona ‘to seal’ Joao Cancelo deal as Al-Hilal hand number 20 | OneFootball

Al-Hilal have hardened their stance on Joao Cancelo by listing him in their 2026/2027 squad with the number 20 shirt, signalling to Barcelona he remains theirs.

Sport reports that his permanent move to Barcelona is nearing completion, with most details long agreed on a deal to bring back a player targeted since the end of last season.

Cancelo made 23 appearances in last season's second half, scoring two and assisting three. He became a key part of Hansi Flick's team while Alejandro Balde battled muscle problems.

Sporting director Deco and Flick see a return as a priority, with the coach pushing to re-sign him. Tax issues have delayed a formal announcement.

Al-Hilal do not plan to use Cancelo next season. They signed Mohamed Mahzari for 8 million euros and want to recoup their spend after buying Cancelo from Manchester City, insisting on 10 million euros that Barcelona are ready to pay.

Cancelo returned to training on 7 August after a holiday following his World Cup and Portugal’s round-of-16 exit to Spain. After individual work he rejoined Simone Inzaghi’s group, the number 20 allocation underlining the stance.

Barcelona remain confident of concluding the deal before 1 September, which would bring Cancelo back for a third spell.

Source: Goal.com

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