Barcelona pulled out of Cedric Bakambu transfer while striker was on flight to club

Former Villarreal forward Cedric Bakambu's move to Barcelona has broken down at the last minute - while he was on his way to the club.

Democratic Republic of the Congo international Bakambu, 28, reportedly came close to signing for Barcelona but was informed the deal had fallen through during a layover in Hong Kong.

Local media report Barcelona and Chinese side Beijing Sinobo Guoan FC were able to reach an agreement which included a loan move to the Spanish club till the end of the season, with the option to purchase in the summer.

The president of Beijing Guoan reportedly agreed to the conditions which prompted Bakambu to board a plane and head to the Spanish city to finalise the deal.

The forward departed from the South Korean capital city of Seoul where the Chinese side are preparing for the Asian Champions League.

Bakambu landed in Hong Kong and was expected to catch a connecting flight to Barcelona.

He reportedly received a call from Barca chief Eric Abidal during his layover in Hong Kong informing him the club changed their mind and were pulling out of the deal.

The forward poked fun at himself posting a tweet saying: “Yo @Transfermarkt change my transfer history with “Almost @FCBarcelona” please.”

The website responded to the message by obliging to the footballer’s request however have since deleted the would-be transfer history.

Barcelona are searching for a player to fill in for Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez. He is recovering from a right meniscus injury which could reportedly keep him off the pitch for most of the remainder of the season.

Beijing Guoan side are set to play FC Seoul on 11th February in their first Asian Champions League group stage match.

The Chinese Super League was expected to start on 22nd February however has been postponed for the safety of fans and players after the coronavirus outbreak.