Barcelona in negotiations with Brazilian midfielder
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?
There are three potential reasons why the Catalans have decided to delay bringing him until the summer. Barcelona don’t have any of the three non-EU spots free; Paulinho, Philippe Coutinho and Yerry Mina currently occupy them. However, Coutinho could have a EU passport by the summer which would leave a spot free for Arthur.
It's impossible for Barça to sign and keep Arthur now, Coutinho, Paulinho and Yerry Mina are occupying all the three non-EU spots at the moment. Fortunately, he's still a player Robert Fernandez wants and he might be signed next summer, by then Coutinho might have a EU passport.
— Rafael Hernández (@RafaelH117) January 6, 2018
They could also persuade Grêmio to accept a lower offer by loaning him back until the summer. This would allow them time to bring in a replacement and get him used to the club while also giving them a better chance of defending their Copa Libertadores title.
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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.