Barcelona has completed the signing of Joan Cancelo for the remainder of the season. The agreement is complete between all parties and only the drafting of the contracts and the signature of both clubs and the player remains. Beforehand, LaLiga’s medical committee will have to give the go-ahead for Andreas Christensen’s four-month layoff, but this will not be a problem because the injury is very clear.
The operation has been precipitated in the last few hours by the push from Inter, who were also keen to sign the player and were going strong. It is not the best option for Barcelona. Flick wanted a centre-back to replace the long-term absence of Christensen, but the market did not offer good players in this position
The player wanted to leave Saudi Arabia
Cancelo’s option had been on the table for some time because the player was not happy in Saudi Arabia and wanted to return to European football. Barcelona had a gap in his position because the right-back position is one that Flick does not have doubled up. However, the squad was closed. Christensen’s injury opened up this possibility again and Cancelo was again offered to the Catalan club.
Versatility
The advantage offered by Cancelo is that he is a player who knows the club and, although he is not a central defender, his versatility to play on both flanks gives the German coach options. Gerard Martin will stay as a central defender and, if necessary, Kounde could play there in an emergency, as his position would be covered by Cancelo. In this situation, Barcelona decided to go for the Portuguese player.
Loan until June
The agreement for the Catalan club is a good one. Cancelo will arrive on loan until the end of the season and will be paid the proportional part of Christensen’s contract that the regulations allow. In other words, the arrival of the full-back does not entail any additional cost for Barcelona. The agreement will be made official in the coming days.
Contracts and medical report
On the one hand, the contracts between all parties have to be resolved. At the moment they are being drawn up and, at the same time, the medical report will be sent to LaLiga, which was not done on Tuesday because it was a public holiday in Spain, so that they can give the go-ahead to the operation. Barcelona is within the deadline because it still has another week to activate the signing
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