Al-Hilal are close to finalizing a $28 million move for Manchester City outcast Joao Cancelo and are targeting Bayern Munich’s Kingsley Coman as well as the Saudi Pro League pushes ahead with a string of marquee deals in the final days of its transfer window.
Personal terms and a medical are still to be finalized, according to a CBS Sports source, but are not expected to prove a hurdle to the 30-year-old bringing to an end his five year association with City. Cancelo is expected to sign a three year contract in Riyadh, believed to be worth nearly $25 million a year.
Meanwhile, Al-Hilal have also expressed an initial interest in securing Coman from Bayern Munich. The French winger, 28, has been linked with a move away from the Bundesliga throughout this summer and would constitute a major coup for the Saudi champions, who are intent on strengthening their squad in advance of next summer’s Club World Cup in the USA.
Cancelo has found himself frozen out at the Etihad Stadium since falling out with Guardiola midway through the 2022-23 campaign, unhappiness over a lack of starting opportunities prompting the Portugal international to depart on loan to Bayern Munich at a time when he was still considered one of the best full backs in the world. The defender spent last season on loan at Barcelona, who were said to be keen to bring him back to the club but could not finance the deal.
Cancelo departs the champions with three Premier League titles, an FA Cup and an EFL Cup to his name. Twice named in the PFA team of the year, his arrival ends Al-Hilal’s extensive search for a new full back this summer with interest in their new signing’s teammate Kyle Walker not being sufficiently reciprocated for a move to materialize.
The arrival of Cancelo constitutes one of the biggest name additions in what has been a markedly quiet transfer window for the Saudi Pro League, particularly compared to 12 months ago when big names such as Neymar, Karim Benzema and Riyad Mahrez were recruited at great expense. So far this summer Moussa Diaby’s arrival at Al-Ittihad from Aston Villa has stood out, particularly aside from Aramco-owned Al-Qadisah, who have spent big since their promotion to the Pro League.
The quartet owned by sovereign wealth fund PIF are all expected to be in the market in the final few days of the window even if the big names they envisaged adding 12 months ago elude them. Additions such as Cancelo, Coman and Victor Osimhen might change that, the latter a target for Al-Ahli throughout this summer without success. Were they to concede defeat in the pursuit of the Napoli forward, then the Jeddah-based side would be expected to make a further offer to Brentford for Ivan Toney.
Pro League registration rules, which limit clubs to a maximum of eight international players aged over 21, with two further youth options, have gone some way to quelling the market at the biggest clubs. This would also prove to be a complicating factor if Al-Hilal were to sign both Coman and Cancelo. In such circumstances they would be obliged to deregister one of their international players to make room for the two new signings. A sale would also open a registration spot but Saudi clubs, particularly those owned by PIF, have struggled to find markets for their big earners in recent weeks.
