𝐎𝐅𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋: Al-Hilal have signed Joao Cancelo from Man City for €25M

Joao Cancelo’s departure from Manchester City to join the Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal marks an interesting turn in his career. Having found himself out of the picture at the Etihad Stadium, the Portugal international completed his permanent move to Al-Hilal after a period of loans at Barcelona and Bayern Munich. His departure seemed inevitable upon his return to the Premier League champions, especially after a lack of playing time led to a move to Bayern in January 2023.

During his time at Manchester City, Cancelo was a regular in Pep Guardiola’s title-winning teams of 2020-21 and 2021-22. His departure to Al-Hilal, where he joins a host of stars including Neymar, Kalidou Koulibaly, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Ruben Neves, and Aleksandar Mitrovic, came in a deal worth around €25 million (£21m/$27.9m).

In his farewell message, Cancelo expressed his gratitude and well-wishes for his former club: “I would like to wish everyone at City continued success in the future. I had many very special moments during my time here at this great club. I would like to thank my team-mates, the coaches, all the staff at City, and the fans for everything during my time here.”

As he prepares to embark on this new chapter, Cancelo could make his debut for Al-Hilal in Wednesday’s clash against Al-Riyadh. Additionally, the 30-year-old remains a key figure for the Portuguese national team, with upcoming Nations League contests against Croatia and Scotland slated for next month. These new opportunities undoubtedly signal an intriguing phase in Cancelo’s career as he embraces fresh challenges at both club and international levels.