Barcelona pulled off a coup as they landed defender Joao Cancelo on loan in the summer window, and could be set to complete another sensational bit of business.
Cancelo was originally set to join on loan with an option to buy, with Manchester City wanting over £50m for the 29-year-old at the start of the summer, but he eventually joined with no buy option.
The Portugal star has already made a huge impact at the club, scoring the winner in a dramatic comeback victory against Celta Vigo, and it now appears that he will stay for a while.
Barcelona to sign Cancelo permanently
According to the Daily Star, Barcelona have now agreed a deal with Man City that will see them keep Cancelo permanently for around £24.3m, less than half of what City wanted at the start of the window.
This resembles something of a bargain for Xavi’s side, although they still have a long way to go to solve their financial situation to complete the deal next summer.
It is still unclear what will happen with fellow Portuguese loan star Joao Felix, but this is a step in the right direction for Barcelona looking ahead to next season.
Cancelo’s immediate impact
It was obvious that despite his troubles at Man City, Cancelo was a player who would instantly improve the Barcelona side.
He was described as “world-class” during his loan spell at Bayern Munich last season, and this statement stills stands true.
He has had a few suspect moments defensively so far, but in attack he has been decisive, and the winner against Celta was a prime example of his attacking movement reaping rewards.
Barcelona have struggled at right-back for years, with the likes of Nelson Semedo and Hector Bellerin failing to fill the void left by Dani Alves, and Cancelo is the first top-class player they have had in the position since the Brazilian.