Barcelona continue to monitor Joao Cancelo’s situation at Al-Hilal, with the Portuguese international’s future taking another interesting turn ahead of the new season.
The full-back remains in Saudi Arabia as he waits for a possible exit to be resolved, while Barcelona continue to explore ways of bringing him back to the club.
It is known that Hansi Flick considers Cancelo a useful option for his project, largely because of his ability to operate on either side of the defence.
Hence, the latest development has only added further uncertainty to the 32-year-old’s situation.
Al-Hilal manager Simone Inzaghi left Cancelo out of the squad for the club’s league opener against Al Faisaly, raising questions over whether the Portuguese star remains part of his plans.
Inzaghi leaves Cancelo’s future in Al-Hilal’s hands
Cancelo’s omission from Al-Hilal’s opening league match was a significant development.
Inzaghi does not count on Joao Cancelo. (Photo by Molly Darlington/Getty Images)
While the Portuguese defender continues to train normally with the rest of the squad, he does not appear to be a central part of Inzaghi’s immediate plans for competitive action.
The Italian coach was directly asked about Cancelo’s future before the match but stopped short of confirming whether the defender would remain at the club.
“He’s still training as normal with the team. As for his future and whether he’ll stay, that’s a matter for the board,” explained Inzaghi, as quoted by SPORT.
The comments make one thing clear: the final decision over Cancelo’s future rests with Al-Hilal’s hierarchy and that he does not count on the Barcelona target.
Cancelo wants Barcelona return
Barcelona’s interest is matched by the player’s desire to return to Spotify Camp Nou.
Cancelo has made it increasingly clear over recent weeks that he would like to return to the Blaugrana.
Barcelona want to bring back Joao Cancelo. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)
However, the biggest obstacle remains the financial side of the operation.
Barcelona and Al-Hilal had previously been reported to be close to an agreement worth around €10 million. But the Saudi club are now believed to have changed their position.
Reports from Saudi Arabia suggest that Al-Hilal are demanding €15 million to sanction Cancelo’s departure.
That increase could complicate Barcelona’s plans, especially if the club is unwilling to spend more than originally expected on a player they are trying to bring back.
Still, Cancelo’s uncertain role under Inzaghi could become an important factor in the coming weeks.