Premier League English

Man City agree £21.2m Saudi Arabia move for Joao Cancelo

Manchester City have approved a £21.2m deal with Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal to sell defender Joao Cancelo.

Although Cancelo is yet to agree to the move, personal terms are not thought to be a problem. If he does agree to the move, the 30-year-old is expected to sign a three-year contract, effectively ending his five-year stay at Etihad Stadium.

Despite City manager Pep Guardiola saying this month Cancelo could play for the club again, the disagreement which led to Cancelo spending time on loan with Bayern Munich and Barcelona over the past 18 months could prove to be a major stumbling block.

Cancelo has not been involved in City’s two Premier League games this season, besides missing the Community Shield victory over Manchester United when a number of City players were unavailable having featured at the Euro 2024 in Germany.

Initially, the Portugal defender became Guardiola’s first inverted full-back, but then lost his place just months after signing a new contract in 2022.