Barcelona Transfer News: Aleix Vidal Deal Shows Superb Initiative Despite Ban

Barcelona's enforced transfer embargo threatened to see the club do no business in 2015, but the capture of Sevilla utility Aleix Vidal once again shows the club working its shrewd mind to the fullest.

Vidal officially signed his contract with the Blaugrana on June 8 and will join this summer, but he won't be available to feature for his new club until January 2016 when the ban runs out, according to Lluis Miguelsanz of Spanish newspaper Sport. 

While Miguelsanz notes the transfer won't be made official for several days, the freshly crowned Champions League winners will pay Sevilla a fee of €10 million for the player.

It's a very agreeable fee for a player who featured so prominently for Unai Emery's side on their way to another Europa League triumph, and Jamie Kemp of Inside Spanish Football points to his stamina as a particular strength:

As a result of not being able to register new players, Barcelona will only be able to train the right-back-cum-winger over the next seven months or so, with no official playing time to speak of.

In theory, it's a "disadvantage" that could come to work in Vidal's favour, giving him a significant grace period free of expectations, yet with ample time to gel and adapt in his new setting.

In return, manager Luis Enrique is getting his hands on an extremely versatile asset on the right flank, similar in style to Dani Alves, whose fate in Catalonia remains uncertain.

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There's a chance Saturday's 3-1 triumph over Juventus in the Champions League final could be Alves' last appearance for Barca, with club president Josep Maria Bartomeu telling beIN Sports (via ESPN FC's Dermot Corrigan) of the current situation:

"We have presented Alves with a renewal offer that is respectful towards him. He knows exactly what the offer is, but it is his decision. If he asks me, I would say 'sign it' because it is a good deal with Barcelona, which I consider to be the best club."

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Should Alves decide his future lies elsewhere, Enrique at least now has another potential successor lined up, one who would provide the same piercing probes down the right side of the pitch.

As Squawka Dave pointed out during the Europa League final, however, Vidal has also shown some superb worth in defence, only enamouring himself further with his new employers:

Agreeing to sign for a club whom you know you can't represent for more than six months isn't an easy decision, but therein lies another well-played piece of business on Barca's behalf.

Vidal is by all means a potential star, but because he is yet to make that jump to the elite, he's still evidently willing to make the sacrifice and join Barcelona, much to the club's advantage.

Come January next year, the reigning La Liga champions will have a new and ready-made component to make use of, one who should be well-acclimated to their style of things if all goes to plan by then.

Transfer ban or not, Barca continue to show themselves as one of the savviest titans of the market, and as Saturday's European victory illustrated, it continues to bring them the biggest prizes football has to offer.