Barcelona close to completing double deal, agreement reached

Barcelona are not stopping with the signing of Ferran Torres as the January transfer window approaches. The Catalan club is expected to continue scouring the market for potential reinforcements, with the latest arrival expected to be Fabio Blanco from Eintracht Frankfurt.

Barcelona showed in the summer that despite their financial problems they were not averse to picking up young talent from across Europe. The La Liga giants signed Yusuf Demir and Emre Demir in the summer, and are continuing to sign more players in the winter transfer window.

Blanco has been on Barcelona's radar since the summer when he left Valencia on a free transfer to join the German Bundesliga club. He has been plying his trade in the German second division with the Eintracht reserve team, and he is initially expected to join Barcelona B before being considered for the first-team.

"Barcelona are set to sign the 17-year-old winger Fabio Blanco from Eintracht Frankfurt. Deal confirmed - he's gonna sign until June 2024," Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano wrote.

Initially, it was expected that he will move to the Catalan capital in the summer, but the deal is expected to be completed next month with paperwork ready to be signed by both clubs. The German club is expected to receive a compensation for Blanco's signature, with the right-winger contracted to them until the summer of 2023.

Blanco is not the only signing Barcelona are expected to wrap up next month, with the Catalan club also said to be close to reaching an agreement with Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta. The veteran defender's contract with the Blues expires in June, and Barcelona are keen to sign him on a free transfer.

Azpilicueta will be allowed to talk to clubs outside England from January and sign a pre-contract agreement if he decides to leave Chelsea. Thomas Tuchel wants to keep the Spain international at Stamford Bridge, but according to Gerard Romero, Barcelona have agreed a deal with the defender's representatives.

"Cesar Azpilicueta is very close to Barça. The club has an agreement in principle with the defender to join from June. Only a few personal issues can change the course of the operation," Romero wrote.