Barcelona Signs Joao Cancelo on Free Transfer Until 2029

Barcelona has officially signed defender Joao Cancelo on a free transfer, as announced by the Spanish champions on Thursday. The contract extends until June 30, 2029.

Cancelo, a Portugal international, terminated his contract with Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal to facilitate his return to Camp Nou. The 32-year-old previously had two loan spells with Barcelona, including one during the second half of the last season, where he played a role in helping Hansi Flick’s team retain the La Liga title.

Before joining Al Hilal in 2024, Cancelo played for Manchester City, Bayern Munich, and had loan spells with Barcelona in the 2023/24 season. His signing follows the arrivals of Rodri, Anthony Gordon, and Karim Adeyemi to Barcelona this summer.

The club is still in search of a striker following the departures of Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres, having previously aimed to sign Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez, but negotiations were unsuccessful.