Barcelona Transfer News: Blaugrana Close in on Arthur in Latest Rumours

Barcelona are reportedly closing in on the signing of Gremio midfielder Arthur but are ready to loan the player out until 2020.

According to Mundo Deportivo (h/t Calciomercato), the Blaugrana are poised to beat the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea to the player's signature.

The report added that Arthur will remain with the Brazilian club until the end of the current campaign before potentially spending the next two seasons out on loan at a European club. It means the 21-year-old may not end up playing for Barca until 2020.

According to Mundo Deportivo, the player is happy with this arrangement, and once Barcelona have agreed a price with Gremio, the deal will be done.

The Brazilian outfit are said to value their starlet at around €50 million (£44 million), but that's not a sum the La Liga leaders are willing to pay at the moment. The player is said to be desperate to see this deal go through, though.

Already the potential transfer has been a complicated one. As relayed by Marca, the youngster has been pictured in Barcelona colours accompanied by a club director, prompting a complaint from Gremio:

While Barcelona evidently don't feel as though Arthur is ready to come straight into the side, it's easy to see why they've targeted the midfielder. Journalist Rupert Fryer believes Barcelona have already got a big talent in Yerry Mina and would be getting another if this deal did come off:

There are definitely attributes to tap into, as Arthur has taken on a tremendous amount of responsibility for Gremio.

Indeed, not only is he an excellent technician, the midfielder was able to show his class on a massive stage last season, helping Gremio to Copa Libertadores glory. The manner in which Arthur coped with such a high-pressure environment was striking.

Wesley Santos/Associated Press

Arthur is typically stationed at the base of midfield and picks up the ball from the back four. From this deeper berth, he manages the tempo of matches and is also tasked with snuffing out opposition attacks, too.

As these numbers from WhoScored.com show, the Gremio man is an excellent playmaker at the hub of the team:

At the moment, Barcelona have one of the finest players in the world in this position in Sergio Busquets. Arthur, should he join and progress, would potentially be a fantastic successor to the 29-year-old.

A loan would undoubtedly benefit Arthur, as the step up from Gremio to Barcelona with no experience of the European game would be enormous. Taking their time with such a precocious talent feels like a sensible course of action from the Blaugrana.