In the words of Eminem/Slim Shady/Marshall Mathers, “guess who’s back, back again.” Yes, João Cancelo is back at the Catalan club, ready to begin his third stint with the Blaugranes. According to multiple reports, the Portugese full-back has agreed to terminate his contract with Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal, and he’ll thus join FC Barcelona as a free agent, or Bosman transfer deal.
He will become Barça’s fourth addition of the summer, following Anthony Gordon, Karim Adeyemi and Jesse Bisiwu. Rodri is set to become the fifth.
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Or Rodri will become the fourth and Cancelo will be the fifth, it all depends on who gets their medical completed and their paperwork signed first. Cancelo has been a member of Barcelona twice previously, both on a loan arrangement.
The 32-year-old scored twice in 16 appearances while on loan from Al Hilal last season. He also spent the latter portion of the 2023-24 season with Barca, while on loan from Manchester City. The earlier portion of that season he went on loan to Bayern Munich.
Cancelo is very well-traveled, having played for eight different clubs over the course of his career.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.