Barcelona have reached an agreement to sign Gremio midfielder Arthur in January 2019 for €40m, according to reports in the Spanish press.
The 21-year-old has made 52 first team appearances for the Brazilian club and was a key part of his side’s squad in their run to the Copa Libertadores.
Diario Sport and Diario AS have now followed up on last week’s ‘provisional agreement’ in El Mundo Deportivo, stating a deal will be reached at the end of the upcoming Brazilian league season.
AS state the deal is €40m despite other suggestions of an initial €25m offer being short of the €50m release clause, although Gremio own only 60% of the player’s rights.
The Catalans already have three non-EU players on their books in Yerry Mina, Paulinho and Philippe Coutinho, but the former Liverpool player is applying for a Portuguese passport to free up an extra space.
