Al-Hilal toughens up and blocks João Cancelo's departure from Barcelona

Al-Hilal aggressively blocked João Cancelo's transfer to Barcelona, ​​ignoring a prior two-year verbal agreement and imposing a deadline that extends the impasse until after the 2026 World Cup. The Saudi giant demands that the Portuguese full-back report for pre-season immediately after the global tournament, which freezes any possibility of immediate negotiations and leaves Barcelona's reinforcement plan on hold. Despite the existence of a verbal understanding between the parties for a two-year internship in Catalonia, Al-Hilal's stance has changed drastically in recent days.