The news of Barcelona’s most recent capture, Sao Paulo full-back Douglas, has initially been greeted with chuckles from Brazillian football fans.
Barca were originally watching young defensive midfielder Rodrigo Caio but were intstead drawn to the 24 year old full back Douglas after target Caio was sidelined with a serious knee injury.
Sao Paulo vice-president, Ataide Gil Guerreiro, was facetiously questioned about the Spanish giants interest in their full-black.
"I don’t know where it came from," he said. The following day, president Carlos Miguel Aidar and coach Muricy Ramalho confirmed that negotiations were indeed taking place.
According to Guerrerio such negotiations were meant to be kept secret but unfortunately were not due to loose-lipped colleagues.
However, San Paulo fans wont be overly disappointed to see Douglas depart in a deal that could net the club as much as €5.5million. The club revealed more details behind the move in a press release:
"The deal will cost Barça four million Euros with performance variables of another one and a half million based on games blocks."
"Douglas will travel to Barcelona for a medical at the end of this week, when he will also put pen to paper on a five year deal and be officially presented as the Club’s latest summer signing"
Since arriving from Gojas back in 2012, Douglas hasn't had the easiest ride or the most harmonious relationship with the Brazillians. At the start of the year he was seemingly behind 30 year old Luis Ricardo in the pecking order. Somewhat an ‘ugly duckling’, he is often singled out for criticism. However, he has been playing for an underperfomring side, reaching just two of the last five Copa Libertadores campaigns and without a major title since 2008. Will his form improve when he is added to a considerably stronger side?
His form has improved as of late and Ramalho is certainly a fan. The coach was reluctant to let Douglas leave, but conceded he could offer no real opposition to a deal, with Sports marketing agency Traffic netting 40 per cent of any potential fee.
There are questions around whether the full back will be sent straight to Barcelona B or not. Some would argue that he hasn't looked like a player primed to walk into one of the worlds most admirable teams, but he certainly does have the potential to fit into a barcaesque model. Luis Enrique appears to be targeting players with a natural fight- highlighted by the signing of Rakitic and Suarez- a philopshy Douglas executes.
The Sao Paulo full back is athletic, adept at finding pockets of space, technically competent and even compared to compatriot Dani Alves. Feasibly, he could improve exponentially over the next year in Catalonia and Barcelona may find that once they smooth the edges they have unearthed a hidden gem.
Nonetheless, the transfer will certainly be considered one of the more curious deals of the window and whether his technical ability is up to filling the Barcelona jersey remains to be seen.