Inter looks to loan João Cancelo, but Portuguese star’s salary complicates deal

Milan’s Inter is considering a loan move for Portugal defender João Cancelo from Al-Hilal following Denzel Dumfries’ injury. However, the player’s high salary could pose a major obstacle to the deal.

According to prominent journalist Alfredo Pedulla, Cancelo earns €16 million per year in Saudi Arabia. For a six-month loan, Inter would need to cover around €8 million of the Portuguese star’s net salary. The Milanese club is willing to pay only €4 million, expecting Al-Hilal to cover the rest. The likelihood of the Saudi club agreeing to such terms is very low.

João Cancelo moved to Saudi Arabia at 29, at the peak of his career, and is now 31, in excellent form. This situation again reinforces the notion that moving to the “Camel League” often becomes a “one-way ticket” for European clubs due to the players’ excessively high wages.