Doha: Barcelona, the reigning Spanish La Liga champions, announced the permanent signing of Portuguese international Joao Cancelo from Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal.

According to Qatar News Agency, Cancelo has joined the first team on a permanent basis under a three-season contract running until June 30, 2029.

The Portuguese international has a robust career, having played for Inter Milan during the 2017-2018 season and Juventus the following season. His journey continued when he joined English club Manchester City in the summer of 2019.

Cancelo's time with Manchester City spanned three and a half seasons. During this period, he experienced two loan spells, first with Germany's Bayern Munich and later with Barcelona, before making the move to Barcelona permanent.