Barcelona's negotiations with Joao Cancelo are progressing, but the club is cautious due to uncertainties surrounding his current club, Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal.
Reports indicate that Barcelona has reached an agreement with Cancelo for a two-year contract. The main hurdle remains reaching common ground with Al Hilal, which might reconsider its stance on Cancelo depending on the appointment of a new head coach following Inzaghi's departure.
Both the sporting director and head coach Hans Flick fully support the transfer, viewing Cancelo as a key figure due to his versatility and ability to play on the left flank. However, the club is reluctant to pay an excessive fee given that Cancelo has only one year left on his current contract.
Negotiations involve Cancelo’s agent, Jorge Mendes, who has been clearly instructed to negotiate within reasonable financial terms. A potential part of the deal includes a player exchange involving young defender Marc Casadó, but Al Hilal’s decisions on this remain uncertain.
The delay in finalizing Cancelo's transfer has forced Barcelona to consider other options to reinforce the left side. Alternative targets include Marc Cucurella and other players like Christian Cambiaso from Juventus and Alex Grimaldo from Bayer Leverkusen. However, these targets face complications due to their nearing moves to other top clubs.
Barcelona aims to clarify the situation by early July but continues exploring all options to avoid lacking depth at left-back. Currently, young Alejandro Balde remains with the club and is expected to start the new season as a backup.
Negotiations are ongoing as Barcelona balances the desire to sign Cancelo with the need to keep other transfer avenues open.
