Boosting the defensive depth of the squad was Barcelona’s main priority during the January transfer window, and it appears the club have taken a step towards achieving that with reports indicating they’ve submitted a formal bid to sign former Blaugrana fullback João Cancelo.
Hansi Flick publicly admitted his wish to sign a defensive reinforcement in January given the alarmingly thin depth Barcelona currently have at the backline. Andreas Christensen’s long term injury was the latest blow, but the club could offload up to 80% of his salary by submitting his medical report to La Liga, opening the door for a replacement to arrive without further infringing Financial Fair Play rules.
With this fund potentially in mind, Barcelona have sent an official bid to Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal to acquire Cancelo on loan for the rest of the season, according to Fabrizio Romano.
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Cancelo is bound to leave the Middle East this window and offered himself to Barcelona in recent days, targeting a return to Catalonia where he spent the 2023–24 season on loan from Manchester City.
João Cancelo
João Cancelo is keen on returning to Barcelona. / David S.Bustamante/Soccrates/Getty Images
Barcelona are said to be looking to acquire Cancelo on another loan, covering only a small fraction of his salary. Mundo Deportivo suggest that Cancelo would be willing to forfeit a significant amount of his salary to make his return to Barcelona.
With the Catalans currently in Saudi Arabia preparing for the Spanish Super Cup, negotiations are expected to continue with Al Hilal in the coming days, but they will have to act quickly since they aren’t the only club interested in the Portuguese fullback.
João Cancelo playing for Inter.
João Cancelo briefly played for Inter. / Matteo Ciambelli/NurPhoto/Getty Images
Inter Milan are thought to be the other major club involved in the race to sign Cancelo. SPORT claimed earlier in the day that the Italian giants had already reached a verbal agreement with Al Hilal for the transfer, all that is missing is the green light from the player.
Cancelo’s desire to return to Barcelona appears to be the only thing stalling the Inter deal, with the 31-year-old prioritizing a return to Spain.
Flick’s main priority was to sign a left-footed center back, but he also stated that any potential move would “have to make sense.” The elite level options that meet that particular profile seem to be non-existent this winter.
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Natural left back Gerard Martín has been deployed as a center back in Barcelona’s last seven La Liga games, winning them all. Cancelo’s arrival would likely make Martín’s move to the heart of defense permanent, while the Portuguese serves as an alternative to both Alejandro Balde and Jules Kounde on either fullback flank.
With Inter still just waiting on the player, Barcelona are under pressure to finalize an agreement with Al Hilal that aligns with their financial possibilities quickly. Nevertheless, although there’s nothing certain, Barcelona seem closer than ever to making their first January signing of the Flick era.
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