Medical Passed
©IMAGO
Portuguese defender João Cancelo is poised to re-enter European football. After a competitive chase between two of the continent’s giants for the 31-year-old’s services, Cancelo has made his decision. Reports from Italy indicate that while Cancelo was close to a six-month loan agreement with Serie A’s Inter, LaLiga’s Barcelona has successfully attracted his interest. Barcelona is set to pay a loan fee of €4 million and cover part of Cancelo’s wages. The club has confirmed the arrangement, with Cancelo passing his medical and expected to officially join on January 13.
Given his past experiences with both Inter and Barcelona, few would question Cancelo’s judgment. Before his €65 million transfer to Manchester City in 2019, he had spent a season on loan at Inter, which led to Juventus signing him from Valencia for €40.4 million in the summer of 2018. More recently, he had a loan spell at Barcelona during the 2023/24 season before moving from Manchester City to Al-Hilal for €25 million.
The experienced defender might feel he has unfinished business in Catalonia, having left Barcelona without any trophies after finishing second to Real Madrid in the league and being eliminated in the quarter-finals of both the Champions League and Copa del Rey. Conversely, Barcelona currently sits four points clear at the top of LaLiga this season and remains in contention in all cup competitions.
