Coutinho frees up non-EU spot for Barcelona midfield target
- Jordan Russell (@JordRuss96)
According to Catalan sports newspaper Mundo Deportivo, Philippe Coutinho is on the verge of obtaining a Portuguese passport thanks to his wife Aine, which means he will no longer be a non-EU citizen.
This news will be welcomed by his employers at Barcelona as they continue their pursuit of Grêmio midfielder Arthur, who was one of the standout performers as the Porto Alegre side won the Copa Libertadores last season.
Indeed, the 21-year-old is viewed by many at Camp Nou as an ideal long-term replacement for Andrés Iniesta in Ernesto Valverde’s side. The Blaugrana squad is undergoing a revamp this year, with the likes of Nélson Semedo, Yerry Mina, Paulinho, the aforementioned Coutinho and Ousmane Dembélé having already arrived.
Indeed, the club’s technical secretary Robert Fernández has indicated that there are several other positions in which the club would like to strengthen, so it looks highly likely that Arthur will be their next recruit.