Romano reports Cancelo has authorisation to travel as early as next week.
The move was revealed overnight, with journalist Fabrizio Romano crediting fellow reporter @ffpolo for confirming Cancelo is now ready to sign.
According to Romano, personal terms with Barcelona were actually agreed back in June. The final hurdle was always the contract situation with Al Hilal, and that has now been resolved through a termination agreement.
This caps off a long-running saga. Cancelo returned to Barcelona in January on a second loan spell and made an instant impact, appearing 12 times and contributing a goal and three assists across competitions, per Yahoo Sports.
He made his priority clear from early on. Cancelo repeatedly said he wanted to stay at Barcelona permanently after enjoying his time back at Camp Nou, going as far as posting shirt photos on social media as the deal dragged through the summer.
Al Hilal had not made this easy. They paid Manchester City around €25 million for Cancelo in 2024, and Goal.com reported the Saudi club had even handed him the number 20 shirt for the new season as a show of their reluctance to let him go for nothing.
That resistance has now been overcome. Goal.com also reported Barcelona midfielder Marc Casado could move the other way to Al Hilal as part of the wider arrangement, helping smooth the exit.
Head coach Hansi Flick is understood to see Cancelo as an important tactical piece. He values the defender’s ability to play across both full-back positions and invert into midfield when Barcelona have the ball.
For Barcelona, the appeal is straightforward. Landing a player of Cancelo’s quality without paying a transfer fee fits neatly with the club’s ongoing Financial Fair Play constraints under La Liga’s rules.
Stay with Tipspac.com for the latest on Cancelo’s arrival and every major transfer confirmation as deadline day approaches.