Al Hilal is on the verge of completing a deal to sign João Cancelo from Manchester City, according to a source familiar with the situation. The Portugal international is expected to make the move to the Saudi Pro League for an initial fee of £21 million ($28m) and is nearing an agreement on a contract worth approximately £15m per year.
Cancelo, who is 30 years old, has not featured for Manchester City in over 18 months. During this time, he had loan spells at Bayern Munich and Barcelona. Despite returning to training with City this summer, he was left out of the squad for the first two Premier League matches against Chelsea and Ipswich Town.
Throughout his time at Manchester City, Cancelo made over 150 appearances for the club and helped secure the Premier League title three times. He was recognized for his performances by being named in the PFA Premier League team of the year in both 2021 and 2022. However, his last game for City was in January 2023 before embarking on a loan move to Bayern Munich.
While Barcelona have previously shown interest in Cancelo, their financial constraints have opened the door for Al Hilal to make a move for the defender. Cancelo, who has also had stints at Benfica, Valencia, and Juventus, was targeted by Al Hilal after learning that Kyle Walker was not available for transfer.
Despite the imminent departure of Cancelo, sources suggest that Manchester City are considering adding another attacking player to their squad before the transfer deadline. Pep Guardiola, the City manager, is reportedly satisfied with his midfield options following the return of Ilkay Gündogan from Barcelona. However, the club is actively scouting strikers following the departure of Julián Álvarez to Atlético Madrid.
Cancelo’s potential move to Al Hilal represents a significant transfer for both clubs. While City look to strengthen their attacking options, Al Hilal are poised to secure the services of an experienced and successful defender. The deal underscores the competitive nature of modern football transfer markets, with clubs constantly seeking to improve their squads to achieve success both domestically and internationally.
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