Long-time Barcelona target agrees move to Saudi Arabia | OneFootball

A player linked with a move to La Liga giants Barcelona throughout the summer transfer window has on Tuesday agreed a deal to take his talents to the Middle East.

That’s according to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano, who points towards João Cancelo as the player in question.

The name of defender Cancelo has of course positioned itself front and centre in the headlines in Catalunya’s capital throughout the summer to date.

This came amid the understanding that, after the Portuguese played a leading role during a loan stint with the club last season, the Barcelona brass were eager to bring him back for the 2024/25 campaign.

The Blaugrana’s hopes, however, were heavily dented, upon word surfacing that their counterparts at Manchester City were not willing to farm Cancelo out on another dry loan.

This opened the door for rival suitors willing to pay a fee for Cancelo to enter the fray.

And, as alluded to above, on Tuesday, one such club have closed a deal for the signing of the versatile full-back.

As per a report from Fabrizio Romano:

‘João Cancelo to Al Hilal, here we go! Deal in place for €25m package to Manchester City.’

Cancelo, for his part, has agreed on the terms of a contract with Al Hilal through the summer of 2027, on a yearly wage in the region of €15 million.

Conor Laird | GSFN