After two moves to Camp Nou on loan, it's time for Joao Cancelo to finally join Barcelona on a permanent deal.As the Catalans announced on their official website today, the Portuguese signed a contract until 2029 as a free agent after terminating his deal with Saudi club Al Hilal.Cancelo is back with his family pic.twitter.com/zZxEy8NLTN— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) August 20, 2026 Cancelo's first spell with Barca came in the 2023/2024 season, when he joined Xavi Hernandez's squad on loan from Manchester City. He had an excellent campaign, making 42 appearances and registering four goals and five assists, but his stint in Spain was short-lived.Back then, Barcelona experienced serious financial troubles, while City's asking price was simply too high for them. In the end, the defender joined Al Hilal for €25 million, but just a year and a half later, he found himself at Camp Nou on another brief loan.Camp Nou welcomes Rodri, as Barca beat 12-time champions of AfricaHowever, this time neither the club nor the player passed up the chance to make their partnership permanent, with Cancelo earning Hansi Flick's trust and contributing two goals and four assists in 23 appearances.Extending their partnership was a natural next step, while Barcelona struck gold by landing a world-class player without paying a transfer fee.##NAJAVA_MECA_9901717##The 32-year-old's wealth of experience, gained at clubs across Portugal (Benfica), Spain (Valencia), Italy (Inter Milan, Juventus), Germany (Bayern Munich), and Saudi Arabia (Al Hilal), as well as with the national team, will be a valuable asset for Flick and his squad – especially its young core.Cancelo has become Barca's fifth signing of this transfer window, following Jesse Bisiwu, Karim Adeyemi, Rodri, and Anthony Gordon.