Arthur's agent to travel to Barcelona
The Gremio midfielder’s agent is travelling to Barcelona to finalize the deal, and Cadena Cope journalist Helena Condis Eno claims that negotiations are already at an advanced stage.
​Though he is only expected to leave the Porto Alegre side in January 2019, he has also been targeted by Manchester United, only for Barca to take a decisive lead.
The 21-year-old is appreciated for his silky skills and for playing a key role in his side’s Copa Libertadores. He has often been compared to Andres Iniesta, prompting plenty of excitement in Catalonia.
“It’s difficult to say because he’s still young,” Gremio’s director recently said to Mundo Deportivo, “but, because of his style, Barcelona would be getting a player similar to Iniesta.”
There are still questions about how much the player would fetch, with the latest reports confirming that Barca would shell out €40 million, €10m of which in bonus payments. Yet Arthur’s clause is priced at a higher €55m.
Late in August, Arthur had revealed that the move was expected to happen: “We are close to an agreement, but there are still some issues to be finalised. Things could move forward next week.”