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The Portuguese international shocked Catalonia by choosing Saudi Arabia to continue his career, and it wasn’t just about the money; Jesus, as A BOLA knows, was decisive in the process, especially when he called the player a week ago
João Cancelo passed his medical exams and will be officially announced as a reinforcement for Al Hilal this Tuesday in Paris, where he completed a series of medical exams and other formalities.
The Portuguese international, who plays various positions between defense and midfield, whether they are full-backs or center-backs, passed the tests and will finally reunite with Jorge Jesus.
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Player passes medical exams and is set to sign a three-year contract with Jorge Jesus’ club; Manchester City receives €25 million, player… much more
However, it was not a peaceful process, as the transfer was owned by Manchester City under Guardiola, but Cancelo was highly desired in Barcelona, where he was on loan. Catalonia was somewhat shocked by the fact that the player preferred Saudi Arabia at the age of 30, at the peak of his career, rather than the giant of the City of Barcelona.
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Decisive, truly making a difference, as reported to A BOLA, was Jorge Jesus’s intervention. The coach who met the young Cancelo in Seixal (he played two games for Benfica under JJ before moving to Valencia) influenced the process in every way, not only by enticing the player but also by turning his desire into internal influence with the Saudi money owners.
The possibility of João Cancelo going to Al Hilal is not new; it was on the table a year ago, but it was a phone call from Jesus a week ago that made all the difference. He called the player directly and that was the turning point in João Cancelo’s career. The conversation made the player view the option of playing in Saudi Arabia differently, and the coach did not let Cancelo go until he ensured that he would indeed be his player.
João Cancelo, it should be noted, will sign for three seasons with Al Hilal, and Manchester City will receive €25 million from the deal. The Portuguese player could earn approximately €15 million annually in wages, but the agreement also includes performance bonuses.