Ernesto Valverde may have won the La Liga title in style in his first season at Camp Nou but the manager will be disappointed with the way they crashed out of the Champions League last season. The squad at Barcelona is easily one of the best in the league and in Europe but Valverde is now determined to add some quality, to help them compete on all fronts next season.
This has seen them being linked with a number of exciting stars for a move this summer and one player they are now set to land is Brazilian star Arthur as the player himself confirmed the move will happen this summer only. He has been on Barcelona’s radar from the start of 2018 and reports suggested that they would be able to sign him this summer, but will only be able to land him in January next year.
However, it is now revealed that Barcelona have managed a breakthrough in talks and are set to land Arthur before the start of the next season. He is expected to cost €40m and could be slowly integrated into the first team.
Born and brought up in Goiania, Brazil, the 21-year old announced himself to the European platform in his third season with Gremio, a top-flight club in his home country. He registered a goal and an assist, playing in a central midfield role, the season before the last, and turned into a first team star for the club.
He played at the base of the midfield for Gremio last season and won the Copa do Brasil in 2016, the Copa Libertadores in 2017, and Recopa Sudamericana 2018 and was named the best newcomer in the league in the previous year. He has represented his national side for the U17s and the U20s and is widely regarded as one of the best players in his role in his country.
Known for him inch-perfect passing, and his ability to break up play in tight situations, Arthur loves to dictate the game with the ball at his feet. He is not too effective in the final third and is at his best while dropping deep and putting the pressure on the opponents.
He is quick to wriggle away from tight spaces, is confident with the ball at his feet and adds a Brazilian flair to his game, that makes him dangerous in the middle of the park.
Read More: 3 Alternatives For 21 Y/O Ajax Starlet At Barcelona Including This Unsettled Tottenham Hotspur Man!
Valverde is yet to show any signs of trusting youth in the first team at Camp Nou but Arthur has been on his radar for a while now and will certainly get the chance to prove himself. But do you think he can make an impact at the highest stage in Spain?
