Joao Cancelo's new Barcelona shirt number confirmed as Al-Hilal full-back seals return to Camp Nou on loan

The speculation has finally been put to bed with Barcelona confirming that Cancelo is once again a Blaugrana player. After a season and a half away from Catalonia, playing his football in the Middle East, the Portuguese international has secured a return to European football’s top table. The club announced on Tuesday that an agreement had been reached with Al-Hilal for a loan move that will keep the defender at the club until the conclusion of the current campaign.

The signing ceremony was a high-profile affair held at the club’s offices, underscoring the importance of this mid-season reinforcement. Perhaps the most notable detail for supporters eager to buy the new kit is the confirmation of his squad number. Cancelo has been handed the prestigious number 2 shirt, a jersey historically associated with some of the club’s greatest defenders, including Dani Alves. It is a statement of intent from the player and the club, suggesting that he is expected to slot straight into the starting XI and command the right flank immediately.

This is not a step into the unknown for either party. Cancelo’s previous tenure at Barcelona during the 2023-24 season remains fresh in the memory of the Camp Nou faithful. Joining on loan from Manchester City at the time, he quickly established himself as a vital cog in the machine, showcasing the technical quality that has defined his career.

During that solitary campaign, Cancelo was a fixture in the lineup, amassing 42 appearances across all competitions. His influence was felt on both ends of the pitch; he scored four goals and provided five assists. His ability to invert into midfield or overlap with devastating pace gave Barcelona a tactical fluidity they have arguably missed since his departure.

Following the expiry of that loan in June 2024, a permanent move failed to materialise, leading him to Al-Hilal. In the Saudi Pro League, he has remained highly active, featuring in 45 matches over the last 18 months. This consistent game time suggests he returns to Spain in peak physical condition, ready to hit the ground running without the need for a lengthy adaptation period.

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Barca will hope re-signing of Cancelo proves a masterstroke in their efforts to retain their league crown and boost their hopes of Champions League success. He is comfortable operating on either the right or the left flank, a versatility that provides the manager with invaluable options as the fixture list becomes congested.

His time at Al-Hilal has kept him match-sharp, but the intensity of La Liga and the Champions League is a different beast. However, Barcelona’s hierarchy is clearly convinced that the 31-year-old still possesses the elite-level quality required to make a difference in big games. The expectation is that he will primarily operate on the right, solving a position that has often been a headache for the club in recent years.

Cancelo’s return to Barcelona is the latest chapter in a nomadic but illustrious career that has seen him represent some of the biggest clubs in world football. His journey began close to home with Benfica, where his precocious talent helped him lift a league title, a Portuguese Cup, a League Cup and a Super Cup early in his development.

His potential was quickly spotted by Valencia, who brought him to La Liga for a successful three-year stint that put him on the radar of Europe’s giants. What followed was a tour of Italy’s finest, with spells at Inter and Juventus seeing him mature into one of the world’s best full-backs. It was at Juventus where he truly refined his defensive game to match his attacking instincts.

In the summer of 2019, he moved to Manchester City, enjoying a trophy-laden three-and-a-half-year spell under Pep Guardiola, which also included a loan to Bayern Munich. Having now returned from Saudi Arabia for a second bite at the cherry with Barcelona, Cancelo brings with him a wealth of experience and a winning mentality that the club will hope can drive them to silverware this season.