Barcelona transfer news: La Liga champions 'closing in' on £8.5m deal for World Cup defender

By Matt Law | 08 Jul 2026 09:12, Last updated: 08 Jul 2026 09:15

Barcelona 'closing in' on £8.5m deal for World Cup defender

Barcelona are reportedly closing in on signing of Al-Hilal defender Joao Cancelo on a permanent basis.

The 32-year-old has had two separate loan spells at Barcelona during his career, first during the 2023-24, when he was contracted to Manchester City.

The Catalan outfit ultimately decided against signing Cancelo on a permanent basis in the summer of 2024, but he returned on loan to the La Liga giants for the second half of the 2025-26 campaign, making 23 appearances, scoring twice and registering four assists.

There has been a host of speculation surrounding the Portugal international's future of late, with Barcelona said to be determined to sign him on a permanent basis.

Barcelona 'closing in' on £8.5m Cancelo signing

According to COPE, an agreement is now almost complete, with Barcelona expected to pay €10m (£8.5m) to sign the defender, who is preparing to pen a two-year deal at Camp Nou.

Al-Hilal's willingness to drop their asking price has allegedly allowed the deal to go through at this relatively early stage, while the defender's contract with his Saudi Arabian outfit is due to expire in 2027.

Super-agent Jorge Mendes has allegedly been heavily involved in the negotiations, and there are suggestions that Barcelona midfielder Marc Casado could join the Saudi outfit.

Cancelo represented Portugal at the 2026 World Cup, making five appearances at the competition, providing one assist in the process.

However, Roberto Martinez's side were knocked out in the round of 16 by Spain, so Cancelo's focus will now have switched completely to his future at club level.

Cancelo deal is excellent business for Barcelona

Signing a player of Cancelo's quality for £8.5m is excellent business for Barcelona.

The Portuguese can play right-back or left-back, and he was one of the team's most consistent performers in the latter stages of the 2025-26 campaign.

The deal is a demonstration that there is still value for money in what is an inflated market, and Cancelo will now be bidding to help Barcelona enjoy another successful season.