Barcelona have completed the signing of Yusuf Demir on loan from Rapid Vienna with an option to buy.

The 18-year-old winger has earned a fine reputation at home after breaking into the Rapid team so young and has been dubbed the ‘Austrian Messi’ for his style of play and stature. He will now hope to link up with Messi himself, providing the Argentina star signs a new deal at Camp Nou. Barça have struck a deal to sign Demir on loan for 2021-22 at a cost of €500,000 and they will have the option to sign him permanently for €10million should he impress, the Catalan club said. Similarly, Demir has also agreed a new contract at Rapid until 2023, meaning they will not lose him on a free transfer next year if Barcelona opt against making his switch to LaLiga permanent. Demir’s signing falls in line with Barça’s recent transfer policy of mostly targeting young players, with Sergino Dest, Francisco Trincão, Eric Garcia, Emerson Royal, Pedri and Frenkie de Jong brought in well before their peak. The low fees involved and the fact Demir will not demand exorbitant wages are both important factors given Barça’s well-publicised financial problems and the fact they are reportedly required to slash their wage expenditure by 40% in line with LaLiga salary cap rules. Nevertheless, Demir will be seen as a wise yet low-risk move given his burgeoning reputation, which is built around his ability to excite.