The drawn-out transfer saga of Manchester City star Joao Cancelo is finally coming to an end as he is set to travel to Barcelona to complete his move, reports Fabrizio Romano.
A verbal agreement was struck between the two clubs a few days earlier, but the deal was put on hold due to Financial Fair Play reasons.
The deal has now received the green light, with both clubs exchanging paperwork.
The Portuguese full-back will be flying to the Catalonian capital tonight, and the official announcement is only a matter of time.
Cancelo will move to Barca on an initial loan, and his transfer will be made permanent for around €30 million if certain conditions are met in the deal.
Barca whittled down their right-back wishlist to Real Valladolid’s Ivan Fresneda and Cancelo, with Xavi eventually choosing the Portuguese defender due to his experience and the Champions League pedigree.
Cancelo’s future at the Etihad Stadium has long been subject to speculation since falling out of favour with manager Pep Guardiola.
He spent the second half of the last season on loan at Bayern Munich but returned to City after the German giants opted against his permanent transfer.
Despite their financial woes, Barca remained undeterred in their pursuit of Cancelo, and they worked their way to get the deal over the line.
Several sales, including Ousmane Dembele’s transfer to Paris Saint-Germain, coupled with an excellent relationship with Cancelo’s agent Jorge Mendes, have helped Barca achieve the deal.
The Catalan giants could turn their attention next towards a potential loan deal for Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix, with Xavi recently giving the green light for the transfer.
