Al Hilal Raises Demands for Cancelo's Return to Barcelona

Barcelona is facing a new obstacle in its negotiations with Al Hilal for the return of Joao Cancelo, as the Saudi club has altered the terms of the deal and increased its financial demands during the current transfer window.

According to Spanish newspaper "Sport," citing Saudi media "Alyaum," Al Hilal has increased their demands from €10 million to €15 million for the departure of the Portuguese full-back, after the agreement between the two clubs was nearly complete, with only some administrative procedures remaining.

Al Hilal's change of stance comes after coach Simone Inzaghi excluded Joao Cancelo from the squad for the opening league match against Al Faisaly. The Italian coach believes that the player does not possess the appropriate physical readiness, despite having trained for a week with his teammates.

Meanwhile, Cancelo still wishes to return to Barcelona, continuing to send messages to the club via social media, after posting a picture in the Catalan team's jersey a week ago, and then re-sharing another image in the same outfit.

João Cancelo scored two goals and provided three assists in 23 matches last season, and he is preparing for his third return to Barcelona, driven by his clear desire to wear the Catalan team's shirt once more.

As the transfer window nears its end, Deco faces challenges in finalizing the deal for Cancelo, especially since Al Hilal is also demanding the signing of Marc Casado. Cancelo's ability to play on both sides of defense makes his return to Barcelona contingent on reaching a new agreement with the Saudi club.