FC Barcelona has officially confirmed the permanent signing of Portuguese full-back Joao Cancelo. After two loan stints at the club, the 32-year-old Portuguese full-back has signed a permanent 3-year contract with the club, tying him down at Camp Nou until 30 June 2029.
For this to happen, Cancelo mutually terminated his contract with Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia, arriving at Barcelona on a free transfer.
He joins Barcelona's mammoth summer recruitment which has already seen Anthony Gordon, Karim Adeyemi, and Rodri arrive at Camp Nou.
Holding out for Camp Nou
Securing the deal was a tumultuous affair, but Cancelo made his preferences clear from the very start of the transfer window, refusing all other offers to seal a move to Catalonia. "I only wanted to join Barca, and this time I've fulfilled my dream properly," Cancelo told the press after his official presentation. "The last two weeks have been difficult, but I was always clear in my mind that Barcelona was the only place I wanted to go."
In fact, the 32-year-old claims a permanent move to Barcelona has been an ambition for years: "When I was at Valencia, there was already a chance for me to come here, but it didn't happen. The same happened at Manchester City. I wanted to know what it felt like to play here."
Ready for action under Flick
Despite a messy summer, Cancelo maintains he hasn't lost his touch and is ready to slot directly into Hansi Flick's system:
"I identify a lot with the football culture of this club," he insisted. "I haven't stopped much this summer and I'm in good physical shape. The coach will decide, but I'm ready to play."
Not content with just being another player, the veteran has huge ambitions for the squad: "We will go now to try our very best to win the Champions League."
And asked about the fierce rivalry with Real Madrid, Cancelo makes it clear his drive transcends El Clasico: "I want to beat every team, not only Real Madrid. I am very competitive."
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