What should have been a routine announcement turned into a midday of confusion at the Camp Nou offices. FC Barcelona made Joao Cancelo’s arrival official through its digital channels, but the joy was short-lived: minutes later, the club deleted every trace of the signing from its social media and official website.

The reason for the confusion was a last-minute bureaucratic loose end. A specific document required by Al-Hilal to complete the paperwork exchange was missing, forcing Barça to momentarily backpedal. This unforeseen hitch disrupted the entire schedule: the signing and the presentation, originally set for noon, were delayed by nearly four hours, finally taking place at 4:45 PM.

"Details of the operation"

"Accompanied by the club’s top brass —Joan Laporta, Rafa Yuste, and Deco— as well as his family, Cancelo sealed his loan contract until the end of the current season. These are the key points of his return:"

• "A familiar shirt number: The Portuguese player recovers the number '2', the same one he wore during his previous spell (2023-24)."
• "The shuffle of numbers: The shirt number was available thanks to Pau Cubarsí taking over the '5' (vacated by Iñigo Martínez in the summer)."
• "Next step: After resolving the international transfer paperwork, the full-back will be presented to the media this Tuesday."

Despite this 'unnerving' episode and the delay in Jeddah, Barça finally has the reinforcement they were so desperately seeking for their right flank.

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