Manchester City agree £21.2m Saudi Arabia move for Cancelo

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Manchester City have reached a £21.2 million agreement with Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal for the sale of defender Joao Cancelo.

While personal terms are not expected to be an issue, Cancelo has yet to finalize the move.

If he does, the 30-year-old is anticipated to sign a three-year contract, bringing an end to his five-year tenure at the Etihad Stadium.

City manager Pep Guardiola recently mentioned that Cancelo could still play for the club again.

However, the rift that led to Cancelo spending the last 18 months on loan at Bayern Munich and Barcelona was always likely to be a significant obstacle.

Cancelo has not featured in City’s two Premier League matches this season.

He also missed the Community Shield victory over Manchester United when several City players were unavailable due to their involvement in the European Championship in Germany.

Initially, the Portuguese defender was Guardiola’s first choice as an inverted full-back, but he lost his place just months after signing a new contract in 2022.