Barcelona agreed a deal with Brazilian club Gremio for the ‘purchase option’ of Arthur Henrique Ramos de Oliveira Melo, simply known as Arthur, in March.
The Catalan club have an option to bring the midfielder to Camp Nou in July 2018. If they exercise the option, it will cost them €30m plus €9 million in variables. Mundo Deportivo claims the La Liga winners are planning to complete his move this summer.
Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta were instrumental in Barcelona’s midfield, when they dominated in Spain and Europe. The Spanish duo have have left the club and the Blaugrana are yet to find their replacements.
Arthur impressed in the seven matches he played for Gremio in the Brasileirao. His average pass percentage is 94.3% and never dropped below 90% in those fixtures. The report hails the Brazilian as ‘the king of the pass’, and Mundo Deportivo seem very impressed indeed.
Spanish champions Barca are now relying on Arthur, but they are aware of the quality gap between the Brazilian league and La Liga, which according to Mundo Deportivo is the best league in the world.
They are highlighting how good Arthur has been for Gremio. Keeping in the mind the time one needs to adjust to the European football, there is a growing belief at Barcelona that he could be successful at the club.
Arthur will also come with a increased pressure, as he would be expected to fulfill the void left by Iniesta’s departure. If he manages to maintain his pass percentage above 90%, he should be appreciated at the Camp Nou.
