The deal to bring João Cancelo back to Barcelona has entered its decisive stage. The Catalan club are confident of wrapping up the operation within the next few days, after weeks of negotiations, and doing so would seal one of the key objectives of the sporting management and coach Hansi Flick: keeping intact the defensive group that played last season.
According to the Spanish newspaper "AS", the Portuguese will sign a contract with Barcelona for the next two seasons.
Barcelona and Cancelo struck an agreement some time ago over the terms of his return, the newspaper revealed, but the deal dragged on longer than expected. The hold-up came down to the player needing to sort things out with Al-Hilal, to whom he was still tied for another year.
No official figures have emerged so far, but the Catalan club will pay around 8 million to land Cancelo.
The full-back always knew his heart was set on staying at Barcelona. He didn't want to leave after his first loan, yet the Catalan club couldn't reach an agreement with Manchester City, who sold him to Al-Hilal.
Barcelona brought him in as their winter signing last season following Christensen's injury, and his displays convinced Hansi Flick, who was desperate to keep him.
His versatility is a big draw. As well as playing on the left, Cancelo can also operate on the right, and he brings considerable experience that adds real value to a current Barcelona squad packed with young players.