Barcelona 'nearing agreement for Leganes defender'

Barcelona are reportedly closing in on the signature of Leganes defender Vasyl Kravets on an initial loan deal with a view to a €4m (£3.7m) transfer next summer.

The 22-year-old only joined Los Pepineros from Lugo at the mid-point of the 2018-19 campaign, signing a four-year contract at the Estadio Municipal de Butarque.

However, according to Ser Deportivo, Kravets's performances in the second half of last season caught the attention of Barca scouts, who highlighted the Ukrainian as a potential signing.

The report claims that the Catalan giants are nearing an agreement for the left-back, who could initially represent Barca B in the third tier of Spanish football with the view to progressing to the first team for the 2020-21 campaign.

Ernesto Valverde's side have also been linked with Red Bull Salzburg's Gideon Mensah under similar circumstances, with the 21-year-old initially earmarked for a spot with the club's second team.

However, it is unclear whether the Spanish champions will be pursuing a deal for both players in the latter stages of the transfer window.