Inter Milan Set Deadline For Ex Barcelona & Man City Defender Decision Amid Juventus Links | OneFootball

Inter Milan are pushing to bring clarity to the Joao Cancelo situation and have now set a clear deadline for the Portuguese defender to make his decision.

According to Corriere dello Sport, there is “now urgency to close the matter,” with the club unwilling to let the situation drag on. Inter have informed Cancelo’s entourage that a definitive answer must arrive by next week, with no intention of waiting beyond that point.

At this stage, the only real obstacle is the player’s own choice. Cancelo has been offered around Europe, with Juventus, Benfica, and especially Barcelona all informed of the opportunity.

The defender would welcome a return to Catalonia, but there has been no concrete move from Barcelona so far.

Inter Press Cancelo For Decision Amid Juventus & Barcelona Links

MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA – JUNE 18: Joao Cancelo #20 of Al Hilal warms up prior to the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 group H match between Real Madrid CF and Al Hilal at Hard Rock Stadium on June 18, 2025 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

Behind the scenes, Inter have already made progress elsewhere.

Talks with Al-Hilal have produced a preliminary agreement, with the Saudi club willing to let Cancelo leave on loan until the end of the season in order to free up a foreign-player slot.

A straight loan suits Inter, especially with plans to target Marco Palestra in the summer.

Crucially, Al-Hilal would also cover a large portion of the roughly €9m remaining from Cancelo’s €18m annual salary, making the deal financially viable for Inter.

There could also be a parallel operation on the Milan-Riyadh axis. Al-Hilal have shown interest in Francesco Acerbi, with Stefan de Vrij a secondary option.

Inter have not closed the door, aware that such a move could help “complete the circle” of the Cancelo deal.

The message from Viale della Liberazione is clear: Inter are ready to move, but only if Cancelo does the same… and soon.