Joao Cancelo’s return to Barcelona is now edging closer to completion.
The Portuguese full-back has made it clear that his priority is to wear the Blaugrana shirt once again, and his determination has played a decisive role in pushing this deal over the line.
From Barcelona’s perspective, this operation was never going to be straightforward.
The club simply did not have the financial room to pay a transfer fee or take on Cancelo’s full salary through a conventional loan.
As a result, negotiations depended heavily on the player’s willingness to compromise and actively help unblock the situation.
Cancelo did exactly that, making his intentions known and driving the process forward from the start.
The timing has also worked in Barça’s favour. With Andreas Christensen sidelined due to a long-term injury, Barcelona have been allowed to use 80% of the Danish defender’s salary to register a replacement.
Financial details of the transfer
Joao Cancelo, former Barcelona player
Cancelo is set to move to Barcelona. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
On the other side of the deal, Al-Hilal showed flexibility. Due to the Saudi league’s limit on foreign players, the club was open to letting Cancelo leave without demanding a transfer fee.
As such, Barcelona’s proposal would cover around €5 million gross. This figure was considered acceptable in Saudi Arabia, even though Al-Hilal were initially believed to be seeking around 60% of the player’s salary.
Furthermore, the full-back earns €17 million per season, meaning he would have collected €8.5 million tax-free for the remaining half of the campaign.
By agreeing to Barcelona’s terms, he will take home close to €3 million net for the same period, as per SPORT. In practical terms, that represents a pay cut of well over 50%.
Meanwhile, there were other options on the table. Inter Milan were also keen and had an agreement in place with Al-Hilal, prepared to offer Cancelo around €3.5 million net.
However, his emotional pull towards Barcelona proved stronger.