Arthur is currently in negotiations with the Catalan side over a potential summer move.
According to Sport,
Barcelona will open negotiations with Grêmio at the start of February
as they aim to iron out the details with the player first. They have
been heavily linked with him since November when he helped Grêmio win
the Copa Libertadores. He has a €50 million release clause in his
contract which the Brazilian side were reportedly happy to bypass
initially, but that stance has since changed.
There
is a lot of interest and excitement around his transfer from fans; this
is because he has similarities with Andres Iniesta and Xavi. He
dominated the Brazilian league’s passing statistics last season.
However, he is able to break lines with his passing rather than always
just taking the safe option. He is also positionally intelligent, keeps
the ball under pressure and is able to bypass players easily.
Barcelona currently have a plethora of midfield
options but they lack someone in the mould of Arthur. He could be
converted into a “controller” similar to how Xavi ran the team when he
was at his peak. Although it’s unfair to purely compare him because no
one will ever be able to fill that role as effectively as he did. The
Brazilian is different, though, because he can also thrive in a two-man
midfield due to Grêmio setting up in 4-2-3-1 and 4-4-2 formations.
Why wait until the summer?
Barcelona are in a position where they don’t desperately need him, either. The are currently leading the league by 11 points while also being in the Copa del Rey semi-finals and the Champions League quarter-finals.
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