By Dorcas Francis Koji
Barcelona have completed the signing of Portugal international Joao Cancelo on a free transfer, with the defender agreeing to a contract that will keep him at Camp Nou until June 30, 2029.
The Spanish champions confirmed the deal on Thursday, announcing that the 32-year-old full-back had joined the club as a free agent.
Cancelo ended his contract with Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal to make his return to Barcelona, where he has previously enjoyed two loan spells.
The Portugal international most recently spent the second half of last season with Barcelona, helping Hansi Flick’s side retain the La Liga title.
Cancelo began his professional career in Portugal before moving to Spain and Italy. He joined Manchester City in 2019 and later had a loan spell at Bayern Munich before moving to Barcelona during the 2023/24 campaign.
His permanent return represents another addition to Flick’s squad as Barcelona prepare for the new season.
The Catalan club have also added Rodri, Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi during the summer transfer window and are continuing their search for a new striker following the departures of Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres.
Barcelona had identified Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez as a preferred target, but the Madrid club have reportedly refused to sanction a move for the Argentina international, forcing the Catalan giants to consider alternative options.
With Cancelo now back at Camp Nou, Barcelona will turn their attention to the start of their La Liga title defence.
Flick’s side are scheduled to open their league campaign away to Elche on Sunday.
Leave a comment