Portuguese Full-Back Prioritises Barça Return Despite Verbal Agreement with Inter Milan.

João Cancelo Barcelona transfer

Barcelona have stepped up their pursuit of João Cancelo by submitting an official loan bid to Al Hilal on January 5, 2026, as the January transfer window heats up.

The proposal is for a straight loan until the end of the season, with the Catalan club offering to cover only a limited part of the Portuguese defender’s substantial salary. Negotiations between the clubs are ongoing, with Al Hilal open to facilitating an exit.

Cancelo, 31, has fallen out of favour at the Saudi Pro League giants under Simone Inzaghi and has been frozen out, making just a handful of appearances this season. He is desperate to return to top-level European football ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Meanwhile, Inter Milan have a verbal agreement in place with Al Hilal since last week for a similar loan move, potentially including Stefan de Vrij or Francesco Acerbi heading the other way. Al Hilal are also willing to subsidise a significant portion of Cancelo’s €15m annual wages to make any deal feasible.

Despite the advanced talks with the Nerazzurri, Cancelo is holding out for Barcelona – where he enjoyed a successful loan spell in 2023-24 – and has asked for time to see if Barça can finalise terms. Financial Fair Play constraints remain a hurdle for the Blaugrana, who are also prioritising defensive reinforcements amid injuries.

The versatile full-back, capable of playing on both flanks, would provide Hansi Flick with tactical flexibility and allow Jules Koundé to shift centrally if needed.