Barcelona winger Cuenca joins Ajax on loan
Reuters - Thursday 31 January 2013, 22:27
Barcelona winger Isaac Cuenca, who has recently returned from a lengthy
layoff after a knee operation, will play the rest of the season on loan
at Ajax Amsterdam, the Dutch champions said on Thursday.
The
promising 21-year-old, brought into the Barca first team by former
coach Pep Guardiola last season before having surgery on his right knee
at the end of the campaign, will join Ajax on a five-month deal, the
club said.
"Cuenca is a
welcome reinforcement as we still are active in three competitions and
not always steady with our wingers," Ajax coach Frank de Boer told
reporters after the 4-0 Dutch cup quarter-final win over Vitesse Arnhem.
Barca
confirmed the deal in a statement on their website and said Ajax did not have an option to buy the player at the end of
his loan stint.
A product of
Barca's youth academy, Cuenca was given the all-clear by the La Liga
club's medical staff on January 21 and has yet to play a match since his
return.
He scored four goals
in 30 appearances last season.