Barcelona player arrives to sign his contract, then watches his new team lose by four goals

Spain's Álvaro Cortés, the 21-year-old Barcelona defender, has edged closer to an official switch to Belgian side Royal Antwerp. He has arrived in Belgium ready to sign his contract, with the deal expected to be announced in the coming hours.

DAZN's cameras picked out Cortés in the stands at the Bosuilstadion on Sunday, watching Royal Antwerp lose 4-1 to Sint-Truiden. His future club have stumbled into the new campaign, taking just four points from their opening four rounds.

Game time is what Cortés is chasing. He began pre-season with Barcelona's first team and, during the training camp in England, made clear he wanted to prove himself to Hansi Flick and force his way into the German's plans.

Fierce competition for the defensive slots at Barcelona threatened the young defender's hopes of regular minutes. So he went looking for a fresh challenge that would hand him more chances to play and develop.

Cortés featured in Barcelona's league opener against Elche, then sat out the clash with Athletic Bilbao as talks over his move to Royal Antwerp gathered pace.

An official announcement from the Belgian club is expected shortly. The Spanish defender is set to open a new chapter in his career, having accepted that the road to regular football with Barcelona's first team looks a tougher one for now.

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