Andreas Christensen's umpteenth injury led to an unexpected move in Barça's winter market. Hansi Flick was short of a center-back, and with the Blaugrana entity limited in its movements because it was – and continues to be – exceeding the salary limit, the Dane's long-term absence opened up the possibility of strengthening. The options that had Hansi Flick's approval were limited, but Jorge Mendes, always well-connected with Deco – he was his agent when he was a footballer – and with Joan Laporta – they maintain a close relationship –, facilitated a solution: João Cancelo. For the super-agent it was a win-win: he continued to offer solutions to Barça and, at the same time, brought his client out of obscurity, who had declared himself in rebellion in Saudi Arabia and longed to return to Barcelona, where he had already played on loan for the Blaugrana in the 2023-24 season.

Joao Cancelo will once again accumulate minutes with Barça when La Liga resumes, after being unable to play in the Champions League due to not being registered for the league phase. The visit of Oviedo (4:15 PM, DAZN), the bottom-placed team, is a good opportunity for the Portuguese player to continue his readjustment, after already playing the last half hour of the defeat at Anoeta. In that match, Cancelo showed Hansi Flick that he can deliver a precise cross that almost resulted in the equalizer, as well as have lapses in concentration that trouble the German manager. Although Flick publicly endorsed his arrival and sporting director Deco explained that Barça would have liked to keep him in the summer of 2024, Cancelo's starting position is far from guaranteed. This could be the main crutch for a talented footballer who experienced the best and worst moments of his career under Pep Guardiola, a coach he had admired for his time on the Barça bench. City paid Juventus €65 million in 2019 to sign him, and under the Santpedor-born manager, he shone as a complete full-back with a significant impact on the game. He could play both as a holding midfielder and as an attacking midfielder, starting from the wing. "He's so intelligent that he brings special things to the team," Guardiola said when Cancelo began to shine, after an inconsistent start. City teammates like Bernardo Silva and Rúben Dias highlighted his ability to decide matches from deep: "With him, you always have an extra passing option."