Saudi Al-Hilal Club has taken a step toward its Portuguese player João Cancelo, who is expected to make a permanent move to Spanish Barcelona in the current summer market.
Cancelo played on loan from Al-Hilal to Barcelona last season, and German coach Hansi Flick wants him to continue with the Catalan team.
Al-Hilal Saudi announced the new squad numbers for its players for the 2026/27 season, including the Portuguese full-back Cancelo, who will wear the number 20 shirt if he remains in Saudi Arabia.
Despite Al-Hilal's move, Cancelo is close to transferring to Barcelona for 10 million euros, and the agreement between the two clubs is nearly final, but tax issues have delayed the official announcement of the deal.
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Al-Hilal Saudi's goal is to recover its investment in the Cancelo deal when signing him from Manchester City, so they are asking for around 10 million euros.
Al-Hilal Saudi does not rely on Cancelo, after signing Mohammed Mehzari for 8 million euros, a player who occupies the same position as the Portuguese full-back.
Barcelona remains confident of completing the Cancelo deal before the end of the current summer market, allowing the Portuguese player to return to the Catalan club for a third time.
