Barcelona target sends a pointed message to current club as frustration grows

Barcelona target sends a pointed message to current club as frustration grows According to SPORT , Joao Cancelo is growing increasingly frustrated with his situation at Al Hilal and is waiting for a resolution. FC Barcelona have committed to trying to complete his return in the coming days so that he can begin training with the squad as soon as possible and be available for the start of the league season. While negotiations continue, the Portuguese international has added fuel to the situation by posting a photograph on social media celebrating a goal in a Barcelona shirt, once again making it clear where he wants to play. Tax-related issues and Al Hilal’s refusal to compromise on certain aspects of the transfer have slowed the operation, but Barça are pushing ahead because they consider Cancelo’s arrival particularly important. Courtesy: Instagram An agreement with Barcelona is already in place The situation has been clear for several weeks. Cancelo has reached an agreement with Barcelona for the next two seasons, while the Catalan club is negotiating a transfer fee of around €10 million with Al Hilal. The original plan was for the Portuguese full-back to avoid returning to Saudi Arabia this summer altogether. That proved impossible, however. Cancelo has had to remain in Saudi Arabia for several days while the necessary steps to complete his transfer are completed. The expectation is now that the remaining obstacles can finally be cleared. Barcelona remain confident that the operation will go through. The Catalans insist that the veteran full-back will be a Barcelona player and that the deal is not currently in danger. His latest social-media post could therefore be interpreted in two ways: either as a sign that his return to Barcelona is imminent, or as another attempt to put pressure on clubs to resolve the remaining issues. Cancelo is eager to join Barcelona. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images) Al Hilal have other plans Al Hilal, meanwhile, have continued to act as though Cancelo remains part of their squad. In recent days, the Saudi club even assigned him an official squad number . The situation is particularly awkward because Al Hilal did not register Cancelo in their league squad last season, forcing the Portuguese to look for another destination. He subsequently returned to Barcelona on a six-month loan. That spell was enough to convince Hansi Flick. Cancelo won the manager’s trust, established himself as a starter and remains one of the coach’s preferred options. With Araujo now gone and no further defensive signing guaranteed, Cancelo would currently begin the season as Barcelona’s clear first-choice option on the left, allowing Gerard Martin to operate centrally. That is why both the player and the club are eager for the final obstacles with Al Hilal to disappear.