Joao Cancelo spent last season on loan at FC Barcelona, where he met Robert Lewandowski, among others. In the capital of Catalonia he showed his good side many times and was open to a longer stay, but the club could not afford to meet his financial expectations, nor pay the amount expected by Manchester City..
The Portuguese had to return to England, where he will also not stay for a long time. This is mainly due to the conflict with Pep Guardiola. – Manchester City were a bit ungrateful to me because I was a very important player over the years. I never let myself down, I was committed to the club and the fans and I always gave my all,” he recalled. His situation has not changed since the start of the new season, he watched all three matches from the stands.
Joao Cancelo to Leave Manchester City? Neymar's Club Contacted
The solution to this difficult situation would be for Cancelo to leave. He has not given up on his dreams of returning to Barcelona, but he may choose a completely different direction. He is wanted by Saudi Al-Hilal, a club that has Neymar, Kalidou Koulibaly and another Portuguese international Ruben Neves.
Things are picking up speed, as the well-informed journalist Fabrizio Romano assures us. According to him, the clubs have reached an agreement and the value of the transaction is to be around 25 million euros. The player, on the other hand, has been offered a salary of 15 million euros per year. “It all depends on Cancelo. (…) He will decide soon,” Romano clarified on the X website.
Joao Cancelo tempted by big money from Al-Hilal
For the 30-year-old Portuguese, this could be the end of an impressive period on European pitches. In addition to City (since 2019) and Barcelona (2023/24), he has played for Bayern Munich (2023), Juventus (2018/19), Inter Milan (2017/18) and Valencia (2014-17). He started his career at Benfica, but only managed to play two matches there. He celebrated his greatest triumphs with City, with whom he won the treble (championship and FA Cup, Champions League) in the 2022/23 season. He has played 58 times for the Portuguese national team, winning the Nations League with them.