Al Hilal is on the verge of securing the services of João Cancelo from Manchester City, according to sources familiar with the situation. The Portuguese international is poised to make a move to the Saudi Pro League in a deal that is valued at an initial £21 million ($28m).
Cancelo, who is 30 years old, has not featured for City in over a year and a half, spending time on loan at Bayern Munich and Barcelona. Despite returning to training with Manchester City this summer, he was left out of the squad for their first two Premier League matches against Chelsea and Ipswich Town.
Having played over 150 games for City and winning the Premier League title three times, Cancelo has clearly made an impact during his time at the club. He was also recognized for his performances by being named in the PFA Premier League team of the year in 2021 and 2022.
Cancelo’s last appearance for City was in January 2023 before he made a surprising loan move to Bayern Munich. However, the German club opted against making the deal permanent, leading Cancelo to join Barcelona on loan for the 2023-24 season.
While Barcelona expressed interest in retaining Cancelo, their financial constraints opened the door for Al Hilal to swoop in and secure his signature. The Saudi Pro League side shifted their focus to Cancelo after learning that Kyle Walker was unavailable. Al Hilal had also considered pursuing Jeremie Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen.
Despite the potential departure of Cancelo, sources indicate that Manchester City are still exploring the possibility of adding another attacking player to their squad before the upcoming transfer deadline. Pep Guardiola, City’s manager, is reportedly satisfied with his midfield options following Ilkay Gündogan’s return from Barcelona, but the club is evaluating various striker options after Julián Álvarez’s move to Atlético Madrid.
Overall, Cancelo’s imminent move to Al Hilal marks the end of a successful chapter at Manchester City, and it will be intriguing to see how he adapts to the new challenge in Saudi Arabia. His experience and talent are sure to benefit Al Hilal, while City will continue to strengthen their squad in preparation for the upcoming season.
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