FC Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez should be able to call upon two new players in his first team squad by the weekend according to separate reports from SPORT and Mundo Deportivo.
Inigo Martinez joined Barca in preseason on a free transfer from Athletic Club in Bilbao, but he hasn’t played an official match in four months because of a foot injury.
Finally on Wednesday, he is expected to join Xavi’s men in training and then later be registered so that he can face Osasuna on September 3.
With Ronald Araujo also picking up a knock which is expected to keep him sidelined until after September’s two-week international break, Xavi might need to rely on Martinez’s services as the 32-year-old fights with Jules Kounde and Andreas Christensen for minutes in central defense.
Kounde played as a right back last term, and Araujo started in the position for most of the preseason tour of the United States and in the 2023/2024 debut against Getafe ahead of being crocked in training.
Xavi’s desire to land a natural in the role has been well-documented, and the coach should finally have his wish in the coming days.
While SPORT report that Joao Cancelo’s loan move from Manchester City could be confirmed on Thursday, Mundo Deportivo expect the development to take place before the weekend.
Getting the Portuguese international registered for Sunday’s away trip to Villarreal won’t be possible.
Like Martinez, however, he should be good to go against Osasuna in the last fixture before Europe’s top leagues take a fortnight pause.
Finally getting Cancelo ends a near nine-month hunt stretching back to January.
This was when Xavi wanted him to boost his squad for the business end of the 2022/2023 season, yet Barca legend Pep Guardiola was accused of blocking the move as Cancelo’s City boss despite having a training ground bust-up with the player who went made a temporary pit stop at Bayern Munich instead.
The Catalans’ pursuit of the 29-year-old revved up again this summer, though, and they will reportedly be obliged to make his loan permanent for €30 million ($32.4 million) a year from now if Cancelo plays at least 70% of their games.
