Barcelona coach Hansi Flick entered the January transfer window with the priority of recruiting a center-back. However, in the end, he welcomed a name in a completely different position.
Winger Joao Cancelo (Al Hilal) has returned to the reigning La Liga champions on loan for the second time, even though even the debut of the Portuguese international was not smooth.
Cancelo was expected to be introduced as Barca's new signing in the early afternoon, but as the media was still waiting, the launch time had passed. More notably, the club also removed the official announcement about this deal from the website and social media channels.
Sources in the club quickly confirmed that this is just a procedural issue. Blaugrana has taken a step forward, organizing the debut ceremony when the papers are not complete. The team still needs final confirmation from Al Hilal before they can continue the registration stages.
Finally, the obstacles were removed. More than 4 hours after the initial scheduled time, Cancelo was officially announced. The delay is only a small matter, but partly reflects the atmosphere commonly seen at Barca - both deploying and handling arising issues.
The point that makes that feeling clearer lies in the cost of loaning Cancelo. According to sources, the deal is priced at about 4 million Euros (including salary) until the end of the season. More importantly, Barcelona can only implement it within the framework of La Liga financial regulations thanks to a clause allowing to use part of Andreas Christensen's salary fund, who was sidelined for 4 months due to injury.
Thus, Flick has one more defender. But that is not a center-back as sources say he requested initially, especially after Christensen broke part of his anterior cruciate ligament in December.
In fact, even before Christensen was injured, the need to strengthen the defense was very clear. Inigo Martinez's departure from last summer made Barca have to find a new partner for young talent Pau Cubarsi. In the context that Christensen continuously has physical problems, while Ronald Araujo has just returned after a break to take care of mental health, Cubarsi often has to partner with Eric Garcia or left-back Gerard Martin.
As a result, Barcelona conceded 20 goals after 19 La Liga matches - the most in the top 5 leading teams. If it weren't for the excellent saves of goalkeeper Joan Garcia, the number could have been even higher. The expected goal difference (xGA) of the leading team in the league is 25.73, ranking 14th overall. They also conceded 11 goals after 6 Champions League matches.
However, the January transfer window is always unpredictable, even for clubs that operate well. For Barcelona - a team that is having to "tighten its belts" - the goal of recruiting a right-wing center-back Flick is almost an overwhelming task.
That does not mean Blaugrana does not need a full-back. In fact, Cancelo came in a context where he is the only true right-back in the squad. Kounde has played right for more than two years but still considers himself a center-back, while Garcia only plays a backup role. On the left wing, Alejandro Balde is replaced by Martin - who is now more necessary in the center-back role.
Therefore, Cancelo brings depth to a position that Barca is lacking. However, because he is more famous for his attacking ability than defensive, there is still question mark about his contribution to the overall defensive ability of the team. It is also not possible to confirm whether Cancelo will win a stable starting spot or not, especially when he is competing for a position in the Portuguese national team lineup towards this summer's World Cup.
However, bringing Cancelo back is not an option to be underestimated. His career record is clear proof of his class, having played for Manchester City, Juventus and Inter Milan. If arranged on the right wing behind Lamine Yamal, Barcelona could become even more fearsome in attack.
Another advantage is that Cancelo is not a "stranger". After the 2023-2024 season playing for the club under Xavi Hernandez, he returned to his familiar environment, thereby significantly shortening the integration time.
This deal also helps Flick have more options and increase position competition. Both Kounde and Balde understand that if they do not maintain their form, replacement options are ready. Even Kounde may be returned to the center of defense at some point, although sources say it is not a plan for the rest of the season.
