Barcelona (Sports Desk): Barcelona has announced that Portuguese defender João Cancelo is set to rejoin the club on a loan deal this Tuesday, according to Football Espana.
Cancelo initially joined Barcelona on loan from Manchester City 18 months ago, but left after the club decided not to make the move permanent.
During the January transfer window, Cancelo, who was looking to leave Al-Hilal, attracted interest from several clubs including Inter Milan and Juventus, and had initially agreed to return to Inter.
Barcelona’s internal disagreements had previously delayed the move, but after a meeting between agent Jorge Mendes and Barcelona president Joan Laporta, the Catalan club offered a loan deal until the end of the season. Cancelo reportedly remained committed to returning to Barcelona and was willing to wait for the deal to materialize.
Manager Xavi Hernández had initially pushed for a central defender to cover for Andreas Christensen, but later expressed satisfaction with securing an additional versatile player capable of playing on both flanks.
Football Director Deco described the agreement as the result of several “pleasant coincidences” and emphasized that opportunities to strengthen the team should not be wasted.
