Barcelona complete 40-million-euro deal for Gremio starlet Arthur

10 Jul 2018 / 10:33 H.
    Barcelona complete 40-million-euro deal for Gremio starlet Arthur
    Soccer Football - Copa Libertadores Final - Gremio v Lanus - Arena do Gremio, Porto Alegre, Brazil - November 22, 2017. Arthur Melo (L) of Gremio and Roman Martinez of Lanus in action. REUTERS/Diego Vara/File Photo

Barcelona have signed promising Brazilian midfielder Arthur Melo from Gremio for 31 million euros (36.4 million US dollars) plus nine million in variables, the club confirmed Monday.
The Spanish champions agreed on a deal for the 21-year-old playmaker in March and he will help fill the gap left by Andres Iniesta and Paulinho, who both departed this summer.
Arthur, who helped Brazilian club Gremio win the Copa Libertadores in 2017, has signed a six-year deal with Barcelona. "[He] is a talented midfielder who stands out for his passing game," Barcelona said in a statement.
"Arthur also stands out for his skill at protecting the ball and his eagerness to play directly up the field." Barcelona initially planned to sign Arthur in January 2019 but with spaces to fill in midfield the deal was sped up.
Reports in Spain indicated Barcelona paid an additional one million euros to complete the transfer earlier.

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