Barcelona are partial to a South American talent.
The famous MSN front three of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar combined Argentinian, Uruguayan and Brazilian genes with successful results.
And in recent times, the club have signed Philippe Coutinho, Marlon Santos, Paulinho and Yerry Mina — three Brazilians and a Colombian.
Now they’ve got their eyes on 21-year-old Brazilian Arthur.
The Catalan giants have agreed an option-to-buy deal for the highly-rated Gremio midfielder this coming summer.
Initially, the Serie A club wanted to keep hold of Arthur until January 2019 and while that it still a possibility, the chances of the transfer being completed in July have increased.
Recruiting a host South Americans has its obvious advantages but it may also cause Barca some headaches.
As per La Liga rules, each team is allowed a maximum of three non-EU registered players in their squad.
With Coutinho and Paulinho as first-team regulars, Mina is likely to make way to accommodate Arthur.
The club will probably loan their towering centre-back out for the season, as they did with Marlon (to Nice) at the start of the current campaign.
In terms of a long-term solution, Barcelona have a plan.
The club have requested a Portuguese passport for Coutinho, which he qualifies for via his Portuguese wife.
It is thought that the ex-Liverpool midfielder will be granted an EU passport eventually but process may not be completed until mid-2019.
All this means any club with close ties to Barca may get a whole season out of a 24-year-old Mina.
No pressure, Arthur…
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