Al Hilal club has taken a decisive step that increases the likelihood of the Portuguese right-back João Cancelo's departure, as the current winter transfer window approaches.

Cancelo is preparing to leave Al Hilal and return to European fields, amid growing interest from Inter Milan, Juventus, and Barcelona to acquire his services.

The Italian newspaper “La Gazzetta dello Sport” revealed that Al Hilal's management decided to exclude João Cancelo's name from the team's list participating in the AFC Champions League for elites.

The newspaper explained that Inter Milan continues its moves to sign Cancelo, alongside Al Hilal's desire to contract one of the Italian club's defenders, at the direct request of coach Simone Inzaghi.

Inzaghi places Francesco Acerbi as the first option to strengthen the back line, with Dutchman Stefan de Vrij remaining among the alternatives on the negotiation table.

Reports indicated that Al Hilal is prepared to bear about 60% of João Cancelo's monthly salary to facilitate completing his departure deal during the winter.

Al Hilal had contracted Cancelo in the summer of 2023, coming from Manchester City on a contract extending until June 2027, before he was previously excluded from the foreign players' list due to injury.

The blue club had previously registered Brazilian striker Marcos Leonardo instead of Cancelo in the local foreign players' list, reflecting a clear tendency to close the chapter on the Portuguese player soon.