Barça lands Cancelo after medical clearance; loan deal set with Tuesday presentation
12 January 2026
Moments away from Barca's latest squad addition, fans brace for the official reveal.
Deal and medical clearance
Barcelona confirmed today that their Portuguese full-back João Cancelo has passed the medical, paving the way for a deal.
Cancelo, the right-back from Al Hilal, arrived in Barcelona on Monday afternoon to complete the move.
Loan agreement and signing timeline
Barcelona agreed with Al Hilal to loan Cancelo until the end of the season, after the player chose to return to Europe.
Despite strong interest from Inter Milan for a permanent move and a potential swap with Al Hilal, Cancelo remained determined to join Barca.
And Barcelona issued an official statement saying Cancelo arrived in Barcelona Monday afternoon and passed the medical tests at a Barcelona hospital, awaiting Tuesday’s signature to become a Barca player.
The signing ceremony is set for 1 pm on Tuesday in the Barca president's office, after which the player will address the media.
Barça had just lifted the Spanish Super Cup the previous Sunday, defeating Real Madrid 3-2.
Punchline: If medicals counted, Cancelo just got a perfect score.
Barca signs a right-back; the goalposts just filed a complaint today.
