Joao Cancelo Set to Rejoin FC Barcelona on Permanent Basis
Joao Cancelo's Return to Barcelona
File image of Portuguese defender Joao Cancelo(Photo: @niko_culer/X)
Madrid, Aug 17: Joao Cancelo, the Portuguese international defender, is on the brink of making a permanent return to FC Barcelona, as he confirmed on Monday.
The 32-year-old had a fruitful six-month loan stint at Barcelona from Al-Hilal last season but had to return to the Saudi club after Barcelona's successful title-winning campaign. Over the weekend, Cancelo and Al-Hilal reached a mutual agreement to part ways, leading him to fly back to Barcelona on Monday.
Upon his arrival, Cancelo shared a photo from the plane with the caption "coming back home" and expressed his excitement to the media at the airport. "I am very happy to be here, which is where I want to be," he stated, with expectations of signing a three-year contract soon.
Sergio Busquets Takes on Coaching Role
In other news, Sergio Busquets has made his return to FC Barcelona in a coaching capacity, eight months after concluding his playing career at Inter Miami. The 38-year-old has been appointed as an assistant to Juliano Belletti in the Barca Atletic (Barcelona B-team) setup.
According to the official FC Barcelona website, "The Barca legend joins Juliano Belletti's staff to contribute his experience and football knowledge to the club while he completes his coaching course." This marks Busquets' return to the club three years after he retired from the first team, having spent 15 seasons wearing the Barcelona jersey. Following his time at Barcelona, he played for two and a half seasons at Inter Miami before announcing his retirement.
Busquets is celebrated as a legend at Barcelona, having progressed through the youth ranks to debut for the first team in 2008, amassing 722 appearances. He also represented the Spain national team 143 times.
Barcelona aims to defend their La Liga title while also pursuing success in European competitions.