BREAKING NEWS: “I didn’t choose to leave Manchester City; I attempted to resolve things with the staff but was compelled to leave the club. Former Manchester United defender Joao Cancelo has revealed who was behind his departure from Man City.”

According to ESPN sources, Al Hilal is on the verge of signing João Cancelo from Manchester City. The Portuguese defender has agreed to a move to the Saudi Pro League, with the initial transfer fee set at £21 million ($28 million). Cancelo is expected to finalize a deal that would see him earn around £15 million annually.

Cancelo, 30, has not featured for Manchester City in the past 18 months, having spent that time on loan at Bayern Munich and Barcelona. Despite returning to Manchester for pre-season training this summer, he was excluded from City’s squad for their opening two Premier League matches against Chelsea and Ipswich.

During his time with Manchester City, Cancelo made over 150 appearances and was part of the team that won the Premier League title three times. His performances earned him a place in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year in both 2021 and 2022.

Cancelo last played for City in January 2023 before making a surprising loan move to Bayern Munich. Although Bayern had the option to make the deal permanent, they decided against it, leading to Cancelo’s subsequent loan to Barcelona for the 2023-24 season.

Now, with his imminent departure to Al Hilal, Cancelo is set to embark on a new chapter in his career, leaving behind a successful spell in European football.