Barcelona deal for veteran defender not yet sealed despite agreement claims – Romano | OneFootball

Barcelona seem keen on signing talented Portuguese defender Joao Cancelo permanently this summer after an impressive loan spell in the second half of the 2025-26 season.

Cancelo is currently on the books of Al Hilal, but he has no future at the club and is still expected to become a Barcelona player before the transfer window closes.

However, according to Fabrizio Romano, the deal is not fully sealed yet, despite claims suggesting an agreement is already in place.

Negotiations between Barcelona and Al Hilal over the transfer fee are still ongoing, despite reports suggesting that the Catalan club had reached an agreement worth around €10 million.

Romano’s update makes it clear that the operation has not reached the final stage, though.

Still no agreement for Cancelo. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)

Cancelo still only wants Barça

The most important part for Barcelona is that Cancelo’s position has not changed. The Portuguese full-back wants to join the Catalans, and that has been the case since January.

That matters because player pressure can be decisive in these kinds of negotiations.

Al Hilal may still have their valuation, and Barcelona still need to protect their finances, but Cancelo’s clear preference gives Deco a strong base to work from.

Still, Barça have a lot of work to do before they can close the operation. Agreeing a deal with Al Hilal is unlikely to be straightforward.

Barça fans know better than anyone else how it feels to see transfer deals fall through at the last moment and how registration hurdles can stop a player from playing for the club.

Cancelo only wants Barcelona. (Photo by Molly Darlington/Getty Images)

Barça must finish the job carefully

From a sporting point of view, Cancelo makes obvious sense. Hansi Flick needs full-backs who can offer quality on the ball, tactical flexibility and experience in big matches.

However, signing the Portuguese defender is not Barça’s only priority this summer. They also need to sign a new striker to replace Robert Lewandowski.

The Catalan club also have not got around to bolstering the central defence, an area that caused a lot of worries for Flick last season.

It does feel like the Blaugrana will eventually agree a deal to sign Cancelo, but they need to ensure that the terms of the agreement suit them.

It remains to be seen how negotiations play out with Al Hilal and how long it takes before the former Manchester City defender joins Barcelona again.