João Cancelo’s return to Barcelona in doubt as Al-Hilal reportedly refuse another loan

João Cancelo joined Barcelona on loan from Al-Hilal for six months in January, but he must return to the Saudi club once the loan ends. However, Barcelona are interested in keeping him, as he has become an important option for Hansi Flick thanks to his ability to play both left back and right back.

Al-Hilal are not making things easy for Barcelona. According to reports from the Saudi edition of 365Scores, the club is not willing to loan Cancelo again because his contract only has one year left. That would mean he could leave for free after another loan spell, which they want to avoid after the investment they made in him.

The Saudi club would only consider letting him return to Barcelona through a permanent transfer, or they could even decide to keep him. The reported price for that deal is around 15 million euros, which could become a key factor in negotiations between the clubs.

Inzaghi adds another obstacle

Letting an experienced player like Cancelo go was a difficult decision to understand for a league that should attract as many top players as possible. This would be a major boost for Barcelona, as they could get a very valuable player at a relatively low price.

A short contract length left is not the only obstacle Barcelona may have to deal with in their attempt to bring the player back. There could also be a change of intention from the club, which may want to keep him instead.

This part is connected to Simone Inzaghi. According to Sport, the Al-Hilal manager wants Cancelo to stay at the club, which could make it even harder for Barcelona to bring him back. That means negotiations won’t be easy to complete.

Cancelo’s desire to play for Benfica

A less likely destination for Cancelo could be Benfica. His desire to return there has been the main reason behind choosing Barcelona over other interested teams like Inter, who made better offers. The Portuguese defender spoke about that feeling toward the club a few weeks ago.

Cancelo said in an interview with Canal 11: “I have earned more than I expected in my career, but playing for Benfica is like playing basketball. I would do it for love. I would reduce my salary.”