Barcelona close in on £26m Arthur deal

The Spanish giants Barcelona are reportedly on the brink of signing a £26m deal with Gremio for the transfer of Arthur, who is regarded as one of the most talented midfielders in Brazilian football.

The Catalans have long been credited with an interest in the 21-year-old playmaker and now Sport suggests that Arthur will officially join Barca ahead of the 2018 World Cup, where it is believed that the player has a great scope of making the Brazil squad.

Initially, it was reported that – Gremio were unwilling to sell Arthur for anything less than £44m, but now aforementioned report claims, there has been a breakthrough in negotiations between two sides, with the La Liga outfit agreeing a £26m deal.

Although, it is thought that Arthur could then re-join Gremio on loan until December 2018.