Cancelo to Barcelona transfer in doubt as al hilal's new coach may keep him

According to the Daily Sports newspaper, Cancelo has agreed to a two-year contract with Barcelona, but internal changes at Al-Hilal are complicating the transfer prospects.

Cancelo is one of Barcelona's key targets to strengthen their defense for next season. Barcelona has already reached an agreement with the Portuguese full-back for the next two seasons, provided that Al-Hilal and Barcelona agree on the final transfer fee. Cancelo was not originally in the Saudi team's plans, but internal changes at Al-Hilal could lead to an unexpected turn in his future. Current coach Simone Inzaghi is reportedly negotiating his termination, and Al-Hilal hopes to appoint Portuguese coach Vítor Pereira as his replacement. Pereira would push for Cancelo to stay, despite Cancelo having clearly expressed his desire to move to Barcelona.

The current internal chaos at Al-Hilal regarding their sporting operations has slowed down negotiations with Barcelona for Cancelo, as the Saudi team is building a new project and requesting more time. Inzaghi was originally a crucial choice for the club, but disagreements between him and the new management of the Saudi club could lead to his early departure, which is increasingly seen as a high probability in Saudi Arabia. Currently, Al-Hilal has explored the market and prioritized bringing in Portuguese coach Vítor Pereira from Nottingham Forest, and they have reportedly made him an offer.

Al-Hilal has paused its sporting planning, and Cancelo is one of the players in an uncertain state. Inzaghi did not want him to stay with the team and pushed for his departure in January, which allowed him to join Barcelona under ideal financial conditions. Barcelona's original idea was to pay a symbolic transfer fee, but now the Saudi side may take a firm stance and increase the cost of Cancelo's departure. Al-Hilal still considers Cancelo a valuable player, having paid 20 million euros for him. Cancelo's departure was one of the points of disagreement between Inzaghi and the club; the Portuguese player performed very well at Barcelona, while the Italian coach had almost excluded him from his plans at the time.

If Vítor Pereira eventually takes charge of Al-Hilal, Cancelo's future could be further hampered. However, Pereira's agent is Jorge Mendes, who also manages Cancelo's career and knows that Cancelo does not want to remain in Saudi Arabia no matter what. Mendes has asked Barcelona to be patient and is doing everything possible to push the deal, but it could be a prolonged process.