Teams rarely make major moves at the start of the year. Being in the middle of the season means most competitive clubs are already settled by then, but Barcelona made a strong signing in João Cancelo’s loan from Al-Hilal.
The Portuguese defender arrived for free after pushing for the move to Spain, even if only temporarily. Barcelona seem ready to keep him for next season too, partly because he can offer versatility at the back.
However, it may not be that simple, as local reports suggest Al-Hilal will not let him go easily. Even if he did not have much of a role there, the fee Barcelona may be asked to pay would be $15 million. While that figure could discourage them from keeping Cancelo next summer, there is still plenty of time to negotiate for the experienced player.
Hansi Flick was not very firm on Cancelo’s stay
Before Sunday’s victory against Rayo Vallecano in La Liga, Hansi Flick had given a press conference touching on several topics. One of them was the future of players like Cancelo and Marcus Rashford.
Flick isn’t certain about the Portuguese’s future with Barcelona (Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
With still too much to happen before Barcelona have to decide whether to keep these players, it was somewhat surprising that the manager was not more certain. He may want to keep them if the conditions are right.
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Flick has liked what he has seen from them, but he is not ready to confirm they will stay with the team: “We’ll talk at the end of the season and we’ll see what happens. Now it’s not the time to say, ‘I want this player’ or ‘I don’t want this player.’ Anything can happen.”
Cancelo’s season with Barcelona
Cancelo arrived at Barcelona last January to give Flick more versatility at the back. With Jules Koundé playing too many matches and Alejandro Balde showing some inconsistency, the Portuguese has filled those roles. His season includes seven La Liga matches and one goal, three in the Copa del Rey and two in the Champions League, for a total of a dozen appearances for the club.
