According to Diario Sport, Cancelo's situation could also become complicated. Al-Hilal, who still have one year left on his contract, are considering taking action against the Portuguese full-back for failing to travel to Austria for pre-season training as required. Cancelo was originally scheduled to report for duty on July 29 after his World Cup campaign and vacation ended, but he did not appear.
Reports indicate that Al-Hilal is considering a fine because the club believes he remains under the team's management, as his transfer agreement with Barcelona has not yet been formally finalized. Negotiations have been underway but are not yet complete.
The report states that Cancelo spoke with his agent, Mendes, before missing the training camp. Mendes is leading the negotiations and hopes the sale will go smoothly. He doesn't want the player to only stay in Al-Hilal for a few days before reporting for duty, as everyone knows he will eventually wear the Barcelona jersey. Al-Hilal's move is seen as an attempt to exert pressure and secure better terms in the negotiations.
Barcelona is well aware that Cancelo will eventually join the team, and the transfer agreement is almost finalized. The main focus now is on negotiating the details of the player's departure. Cancelo has one year left on his high-salary contract in Saudi Arabia, and both sides are adjusting his tax situation to minimize his losses. To ensure the deal proceeds smoothly, a formal signing cannot be completed before August, so everything is proceeding according to the established timeline.
No one expected Cancelo to miss training camp, which Al-Hilal might see as a form of resistance. In fact, several other players preparing to leave, such as Darwin Núñez, have already appeared at training camp to soften their stance and reach an amicable agreement with the Saudi club. The question now is how Al-Hilal's tough stance will affect the final negotiations for this transfer. Cancelo is one of Barcelona's key targets in this project. Flick desperately wants him because of his excellent performance during his six-month loan spell. The Portuguese player is currently the starting left-back, eventually winning the starting position from Balde. Barcelona and Cancelo have reached an agreement for the next two seasons, with the club originally hoping to keep the transfer fee below €10 million. Cancelo is reportedly also willing to forgo a significant portion of his salary to leave Saudi Arabia, allowing Barcelona to complete the registration process without obstacles.
