Barcelona Transfer News: Arthur Deal Is 'Virtually Done' in Latest Rumours

Arthur's move to Barcelona is "virtually done," but the Gremio midfielder may not join the club until the summer or even 2019.

That's according to Marca's Hugo Cerezo and Xavi Hernandez, who reported the club will loan Arthur back to the Brazilian club to reduce the cost of his transfer, as they do not want to match his €50 million release clause.

Sport's Joaquim Piera reported Gremio's stance on the 21-year-old has softened in recent months; having considered him to be firmly not for sale, they now believe he will be "hard to keep."

Piera added the club have held talks with the player to convey he is a priority of theirs, and Arthur himself is said to be receptive to the move and will not be heading elsewhere this January despite attracting the attention of others in Europe.

Barcelona have enjoyed a much more positive season than was anticipated after losing Neymar in the summer, but despite their excellence thus far and in recent years, there's still scope for them to improve their squad.

The Catalan giants' midfield remains a relative weak spot after the departure of Xavi Hernandez, and as noted by Grup 14's Rafael Hernandez, Arthur could be the ideal candidate to replace him:

Despite his age, he's already a crucial player for Gremio, and he played a vital role in the two-legged Copa Libertadores final, in which he helped his side to a 3-1 aggregate win.

An injury in the second leg saw him miss the Brazilian outfit's Club World Cup campaign, which Goal's Dan Edwards rued:

He could add some much-needed control to Barca's midfield, enabling them to dominate proceedings from the centre once again.

The sooner he can be incorporated into the squad the better, but to secure the signature of the highly rated starlet—even if he may not arrive until the summer or next year—is a vital coup for the Blaugrana.