João Cancelo wanted this. When January opened, he had options, including a concrete path back to Inter. Instead, he walked away from Al-Hilal and pushed for a return to Barcelona. The idea was simple: familiar ground, unfinished business.
One month in, it feels anything but simple.
The numbers are thin. Two starts. Two appearances off the bench. Not much rhythm, not much continuity. Against Girona, the message landed harder than any stat line. When Alejandro Balde needed a breather, Hansi Flick did
not turn to Cancelo. He sent on Gerard Martín, a player more used to operating centrally this season.
Over in Italy, the reaction has been blunt. Tuttosport ran with: “Barça have scored an own goal. Total disaster.” The paper insists Cancelo would have walked into a much bigger role at Inter, who have been dealing with Denzel Dumfries’ physical issues. Instead, he chose Barça, believing the path would be clearer.
They are framing this as a political signing more than a sporting one.
“Many believe the deal was closed solely because of the excellent relationship between Jorge Mendes, the player’s agent, and the club’s hierarchy… Cancelo is the last of the reserves,” Tuttosport wrote.
The explanation in January was that defensive reinforcements were needed after the problems suffered by Andreas Christensen and Ronald Araújo. Cancelo could cover both flanks and could help the defensive line’s depth. But reports said Flick wanted a center-back, which makes sense as the two injured players played that position.
Cancelo arrived short of competitive minutes, having played just six official matches this season before leaving Saudi Arabia. It shows at times. The tempo is different here. Even when Flick handed him an early start, the spark never quite caught.
The spotlight inevitably shifts toward Deco, a compatriot and long-time ally of Mendes. Other recent arrivals have settled more smoothly. Cancelo, for now, looks like a bet that has not paid out.
It is still February. Squads change shape quickly once injuries and suspensions creep in. But at this moment, Cancelo is not drawing great reviews.
