Barcelona signs Trincao; Carrasco heads back to Atletico

Francisco-Trincao

Portugal's Trincao (Sergei Grits/AP)

BARCELONA, Spain — Barcelona signed Portuguese forward Francisco Trincao for next season and Atletico Madrid announced the return of Yannick Carrasco on Friday, the final day of the transfer window in Spain.

Barcelona said it had agreed to pay Portuguese club Braga 31 million euros ($34 million) to acquire the 20-year-old Trincao after the season ends for five years.

Since debuting with Braga in December 2018, Trincao has scored three goals in 29 matches. He has played for Portugal’s youth teams and helped it win the under-19 European Championship in 2018 as its top scorer with five goals.

Barcelona described him as a “talented and quick player with a good left leg” who can play as a winger on either side of the attack.

Atletico will hope to boost its goal production immediately with the return of Carrasco, a Belgium forward who played for the Spanish club from 2015-18 before leaving for China.

He returns on a loan deal until the end of the season from Chinese club Dalian Professional.

Carrasco scored 23 goals, including one in the 2016 Champions League final that Atletico lost to Real Madrid, in 124 appearances in his first stint with Atletico.

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