Douglas: Heading for La Liga

Barcelona have reached a preliminary agreement with Sao Paulo to sign Brazilian defender Douglas.

The 24-year-old right-back will undergo a medical in Spain later this week before signing a five-year deal with the Primera Liga giants to become Barca's sixth reinforcement this summer.

A statement from Barcelona read: "Barcelona and Sao Paulo FC have reached an initial agreement for the transfer of Douglas Pereira.

"The deal will cost Barca four million euros with performance variables of another one-and-a-half million based on the number of games played.

"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."

Douglas, who has scored four goals in 95 matches for Sao Paulo since joining the Tricolor outfit from home town club Goias in 2012, will compete with compatriot Dani Alves and Spain's Martin Montoya for Barca's right-back position.

Barca coach Luis Enrique is looking to strengthen his squad before the end of this transfer window as the club will not be able to sign any new players until January 2016.

The world football's governing body FIFA rejected Barca's appeal to overturn a transfer embargo given to them over breaches of rules around the transfer of under-18 players.