Cancelo's Barça Future Suddenly Up in the Air — In a Good Way
João Cancelo has gone from almost certain departure to genuine debate inside Barcelona's sporting directorate. Here's where things stand.
João Cancelo arrived at Barça in January looking like a short-term patch job. A few weeks on, he’s got the club’s sporting directorate genuinely scratching their heads — and not in a bad way.
From Nearly Gone to Genuinely Wanted
Not long ago, the assumption inside the Camp Nou offices was pretty straightforward: Cancelo’s loan would run out, he’d head back to Al-Hilal, and Barça would go shopping for a proper left-back in the summer. Job done, move on.
That’s changed. His performances have improved noticeably in recent weeks, and there’s now a real internal debate about whether to keep him beyond this season. Nothing’s decided yet, but the conversation has shifted.
The Levante Game Changed Things
The 3-1 win over Levante at the weekend seems to have been something of a turning point. Cancelo started at left-back, looked solid defensively, and was a genuine threat going forward — picking up an assist for Frenkie de Jong’s goal and even being named MVP on the day.
Hansi Flick was clearly chuffed, saying he’d shown “toda su calidad” — basically that he’d shown everything he’s capable of. High praise from a manager who doesn’t exactly dish out compliments for free.
Why He’s Actually Useful
It’s not just the Levante performance. Flick values a few specific things about the 31-year-old:
- Versatility — he’s played both left and right-back across his six appearances (four La Liga, two Copa del Rey)
- Cover for Koundé — he’s done a decent job filling in on the right when needed
- Rest for Balde — his presence means Gerard Martín can shift into central defence, giving Alejandro Balde a breather
- Offensive output — he’s not just sitting in and defending; he’s creating
The Financial Bit
Here’s where it gets interesting from a business angle. Cancelo is currently on loan from Al-Hilal until the end of the season — no purchase option was included in the deal. His contract with the Saudi club runs until June 2027, but Barça are quietly hopeful they could get him for nothing if he pushes to leave.
The player himself reportedly wants to stay, and understands that any deal would need to be very light on Barça’s wallet. Given the club’s well-documented financial situation, that’s basically a prerequisite for anything happening.
What Barça Actually Need This Summer
The priorities haven’t changed: a centre-back and a striker are the must-haves. A left-back was also on the list — but that’s now the question mark. If Cancelo stays, do they still need to spend there?
A few weeks ago, the answer was almost certainly yes. Right now? Not so much.
Nothing’s done and dusted — Cancelo’s future at the club is still genuinely open. But he’s at least earned himself a proper hearing, which is more than looked likely when he first rocked up in January.