Joao Cancelo Back in Al Hilal Training Amid Barcelona Deal Talks

For most of the summer, Barcelona treated Joao Cancelo’s return as a matter of time, not doubt. A deal that simply needed signatures. A formality.

It still isn’t done.

The Portuguese full-back, who lit up the second half of last season on loan at Camp Nou, is back at work with Al Hilal while talks between the two clubs drag on without resolution.

From key loanee to transfer stalemate

Cancelo’s impact in Barcelona was immediate and unmistakable. Dropping into either flank, stepping into midfield, dictating play from deep – he gave Xavi, and now potentially Hansi Flick, a rare kind of tactical luxury.

By the end of the campaign, he had pushed Alejandro Balde out of the starting left-back role. Not because Balde regressed, but because Cancelo operated at a level that demanded selection. Barça, seeing the difference he made, quickly decided they wanted him back, this time on a permanent basis.

They have spent the summer trying to turn that desire into a deal with Al Hilal.

Professional return, not a change of heart

Al Hilal never built their long-term plans around Cancelo. With just one year left on his contract, they are prepared to let him go. Yet that hasn’t translated into an easy negotiation for Barcelona.

With no agreement in place, Cancelo has now rejoined Al Hilal’s pre-season preparations, as confirmed by the Saudi club’s official channels. He trains. He works. He waits.

This is not a U-turn on his part. Cancelo still prioritises a move back to Barcelona and has made his preference clear. His presence in Al Hilal’s camp is less about choice and more about duty – a senior professional respecting his current employer until the paperwork says otherwise.

For now, he is an Al Hilal player. And he is acting like one.

Barcelona’s leverage – and their problem

Inside Barcelona, confidence remains. The belief is that this deal can still be closed before the transfer window shuts.

Cancelo’s stance gives them a degree of leverage. The 32-year-old wants Barça, and everyone knows it. But Al Hilal hold the contract and, crucially, the power to say no to any offer that doesn’t meet their demands. They may be open to a sale, but they are not obliged to do Barcelona any favours.

That tension explains the slow pace of the operation and why Flick is still waiting for a defender he would have liked to integrate weeks ago.

Why Barça keep pushing

The attraction is obvious. Cancelo offers something few full-backs can: genuine two-footedness across both flanks and the ability to drift into midfield to help build play, overload central areas, and unlock low blocks.

Barcelona know exactly what they would be buying. Last season served as a live audition. There is no mystery, no adaptation gamble. For a club juggling financial constraints and sporting needs, that makes Cancelo close to a low-risk signing.

His arrival would also sharpen competition for Balde, who faces a pivotal season in his development. The young Spaniard would either respond to the challenge or risk losing minutes to a veteran who has already shown he can handle the pressure of the shirt.

Clock ticking, door still open

Barcelona still have time, but not unlimited patience. The plan remains clear: bring Cancelo back, give Flick the tactical flexibility he craves, and settle a position that has felt in flux for too long.

For now, though, the image is striking: Cancelo in Al Hilal colours, training under the Saudi sun, while his future is negotiated in boardrooms elsewhere.

The question is no longer whether he wants Barcelona. It’s whether Barcelona and Al Hilal can finally agree on what that desire is worth.