Barcelona Signs João Félix and João Cancelo on Loan in Final Day of Transfer Market

Barcelona makes last-minute transfer moves, acquiring João Félix and João Cancelo on loan while sending out Ansu Fati and others.

Barcelona had a busy and eventful final day of the summer transfer window. The club made some significant acquisitions, bringing in Portugal players João Félix and João Cancelo on loan from Atletico Madrid and Manchester City, respectively. These signings aim to strengthen Barcelona's squad as they aim to defend their Spanish league title and compete at the highest level in the Champions League.

João Félix, a 23-year-old forward, joined Atletico Madrid in 2019 for a hefty fee of 126 million euros. While he showed glimpses of his talent during his time at Atletico, he struggled to consistently perform and lost his starting position under coach Diego Simeone. Félix will now have to compete for playing time at Barcelona, a team already brimming with talent.

João Cancelo, a defender, spent the previous season on loan at Bayern Munich from Manchester City. Barcelona secured his services for the upcoming season, hoping to bolster their defensive options. Neither Félix nor Cancelo's loan deals include an option to make their transfers permanent.

Barcelona made several moves in the transfer market this summer, primarily focusing on free agents. They brought in Ilkay Gundogan from Manchester City and defender Íñigo Martínez from Athletic Bilbao. The club's only significant expenditure was the reported 3.4 million euros paid to Girona for holding midfielder Oriol Romeu, who will fill the void left by Sergio Busquets' departure.

In addition to their incoming transfers, Barcelona also sent some players out on loan. Ansu Fati, a promising 20-year-old forward, joined Brighton for the season. Fati was once seen as Barcelona's rising star, becoming the club's youngest goal-scorer in La Liga and the Champions League. However, a serious leg injury halted his progress, and he struggled to regain his starting position under coach Xavi Hernández.

Barcelona also made sales during the transfer window. They sold Abde Ezzalzouli to Real Betis for 7.5 million euros after his impressive loan spell at Osasuna. The club loaned defender Éric García to Girona and Clement Lenglet to Aston Villa, both on one-year deals. Additionally, Barcelona's reserve team secured the loan signing of Mamadou Fall from Los Angeles Football Club.

On the other hand, Real Madrid did not make any significant moves on the final day of the transfer window. The club had already completed their major deals earlier in the summer. They splashed out on Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund for 130 million euros, Turkish teenager Arda Guler for a potential 30 million euros, and Fran García for 5 million euros. Real Madrid also made some astute free agent signings, including goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, striker Joselu Mato, and forward Brahim Díaz.

Other notable transfer activities in La Liga included Sevilla parting ways with Tecatito Corona and signing former Real Madrid striker Mariano Díaz as a free agent. Getafe took on Mason Greenwood on loan from Manchester United, despite his troubled past. Rafa Benítez's Celta Vigo secured goalkeeper Vicente Guaita as a free agent.

When compared to other national leagues, Spain's spending in the transfer market ranked sixth, according to Transfermarkt.com. Their total expenditure of 440 million euros was significantly lower than Italy's Serie A and the emerging Saudi League. It paled in comparison to the massive 2.7 billion euros spent in England's Premier League.

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