Barcelona star on the brink of historic achievement no player has ever achieved

Joao Cancelo is on the verge of creating history. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)

This time, however, everything feels different.

Apart from the title itself, there is also a personal objective as Cancelo is keen to secure his long-term future at Barcelona, a club he actively pushed to return to.

Under Hansi Flick this season, Cancelo has evolved from a rotational option into a reliable starter.

Primarily operating at left-back, he has offered both defensive balance and attacking width, quickly becoming an important part of the system.

Yet, his contractual situation is far from resolved. This is because Cancelo is still tied to Al Hilal, but he is not considered part of their long-term plans.

The player himself has made it clear that he is open to leaving and is even willing to waive the final year of his contract to facilitate a move.

For Barcelona, this opens the door to a favourable deal. The club is pushing to secure his transfer either on a free or for a minimal fee and if everything falls into place, the outcome could be historic.