Leave the team! Saudi media: Cancelo is dissatisfied with the lack of appearances and asks Mendes to find a European home for him

"Daily Sports" quoted the Saudi media 365Scores and pointed out that the relationship between Portuguese international Cancelo and Riyadh Crescent is tense. He has asked to leave the team immediately and hopes to return to Europe. Mendes is already looking for a new home.

Joao Cancelo's future has once again stirred up the situation in Riyadh Crescent. The Saudi club has been shrouded in an atmosphere of uncertainty recently. It is reported that the Portuguese full-back has expressed to the management his desire to leave the team immediately due to his lack of continuous playing opportunities this season.

According to reports, players believe that if the current marginalized situation continues, the end of their careers may be at risk. Cancelo, who has not hidden his displeasure since being left out of the AFC Champions League for the first time, took the decision as a sign of a loss of trust.

The 31-year-old player recently publicly stated that his "dream" is to return to Europe. Although his contract with the Saudi club runs until 2027 and he was refused to leave the team last summer, the player seems ready to seek a "termination plan" again in January. He said frankly during the Portuguese national team training: "Obviously I dream of returning to Europe. There is still one year left on the contract with Riyadh Crescent, but I am always open to new adventures. Only the future can give the answer."

Faced with this situation, the same source confirmed that club sources revealed that the Portuguese international has made it clear that he hopes to leave in the next transfer period, and his agent Jorge Mendes has begun to contact potential buyers in Europe.

Although the player has decided to leave, the media emphasized that coach Simone Inzaghi is not currently considering letting Cancelo go, and has clearly expressed his intention to keep Cancelo to the players and management. Realizing that the situation could escalate, the coach even promised to give him more playing time in future games.

During this national team match day, Cancelo performed well in the Portuguese team coached by Robert Martinez. As the team successfully advances to the 2026 US-Canada-Mexico World Cup, the full-back urgently needs to maintain competitive status through stable appearances and prepare for the World Cup in the best possible posture.

The 31-year-old Portuguese winger came from the youth training of Benfica and has played for many giants such as Inter Milan, Juventus, Manchester City, Bayern, and Barcelona. This season he has played 9 times for Crescent and provided 2 assists.