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Barcelona have announced that Joao Cancelo will complete his loan return to the club on Tuesday following a successful medical examination, with the Portuguese defender rejoining the Catalan giants until the end of the season after leaving Al-Hilal during the January transfer window.
Barcelona Confirm Joao Cancelo Loan Return After Medical as Signing Set for Tuesday
The 31-year-old defender flew into Barcelona on Monday and passed his medical examination before the club confirmed the official signing ceremony will take place at 13:00 on Tuesday, followed by a press conference. Cancelo returns to Barcelona 18 months after his previous loan spell from Manchester City ended without the club pursuing a permanent transfer for the Portuguese international.
Cancelo had initially agreed a deal to join Inter after expressing his desire to leave Al-Hilal, with Juventus also showing interest in the defender during the January window. However, a meeting between agent Jorge Mendes and Barcelona president Joan Laporta changed the situation, with the Catalan club submitting a loan offer that Cancelo was highly keen to accept as he held out for the switch back to Camp Nou.
Manager Hansi Flick had initially urged the club to sign a central defender to compensate for the loss of Andreas Christensen, but declared himself happy to have another offensive option who can operate on both flanks. The German coach welcomed Cancelo’s versatility and attacking threat from the full-back positions as Barcelona look to strengthen their squad for the remainder of the campaign.
Director of Football Deco explained that several happy coincidences had allowed the deal to materialise, stating that when the opportunity arose to improve the squad, it made little sense not to pursue the transfer. The loan agreement runs until the end of the current season, although there does not appear to be an option included to make Cancelo’s return permanent beyond the summer.
