Inter Milan Ready to Offer Al-Hilal Outcast Joao Cancelo a Career Lifeline With Six-Month Loan
Joao Cancelo is expected to leave Al-Hilal after a complete breakdown in the relationship between him and manager Simone Inzaghi.
Charlie Rhodes
Updated on 31 December 2025
Inter Milan are positioning themselves to bring Joao Cancelo back to the San Siro for his second loan spell.
Joao Cancelo made the switch to Saudi Arabia in August 2024, but his stint at Al-Hilal could be short-lived as the club search for a quick resolution to his future.
Cancelo has a colorful history when it comes to public spats with managers, and Simone Inzaghi can now be added to that list.
The pair are said to have had a physical altercation in a Saudi Super League match, which saw Cancelo throw objects and hit the bench after being hooked by the manager.
The Portuguese international, who is eager to cement his spot at the World Cup in 2026, has since been excluded from being registered for Al-Hilal’s domestic squad.
Cancelo has only been spotted in AFC Champions League fixtures so far this term, where he has racked up a goal and two assists in four appearances.
Inter Milan to Move For Joao Cancelo
Inter Milan are known to be assessing their options in January, as they seek an adequate replacement within their budget for the injured Denzel Dumfries.
Cancelo’s new-found availability appears to have come at precisely the right time, with Inter prepared to offer the 31-year-old a six-month loan offer.
🚨🇵🇹 João Cancelo, set to leave Al Hilal in January window as reported this week.
Inter have approached Al Hilal to ask for loan deal conditions and explore potential structure of the deal ⚫️🔵
Barcelona and Juventus also had contact in last 48h to ask about Cancelo situation. pic.twitter.com/qhsBv73CKd
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 30, 2025
According to Fabrizio Romano, Inter will likely face competition from two of Cancelo’s former employers; Barcelona and Juventus.
Cancelo’s potential switch to Inter would mark his second spell at the club, having spent a year on loan in 2017-18.
To everyone’s surprise at the San Siro, the club failed to make his move from Benfica permanent despite being named in Serie A’s Team of the Season.
Joao Cancelo’s Wages Could Prove to be a Stumbling Block
While both Cancelo and Al-Hilal are eager to resolve the situation as swiftly as possible, all three of the clubs in contention for his signature find themselves walking a finical tightrope.
Cancelo pockets a sizeable €15 million per-season in Saudi Arabia – a sum that is far out of reach for the interested parties.
Al-Hilal may be forced to supplement a significant chunk of his wages whilst Cancelo is out on loan.
Charlie Rhodes
Charlie has built a deep portfolio across a wealth of sports websites, with a heavy focus on Europe's top five leagues. He has a long-standing interest in Serie A having grown up watching Football Italia on Channel 4 as a child. With extensive experience tailored towards news, long-form content and heavily researched features, Charlie has also garnered experience in several roles in the fintech and marketing sector.
Our unbiased editorial policy
Despite ongoing collaborations with commercial affiliates, the details, information, and reviews we provide remain honest and unbiased. We keep this in check by implementing a stringent editorial policy.
Our policy implements strict editorial standards, ensuring the integrity and trustworthiness of our articles, news, and reviews. Only the highest-quality content reaches our pages. We achieve this through conducting thorough research on each topic, conveyed to you using unbiased reporting, to ensure we earn your trust and keep it.
