According to Mundo Deportivo, Tottenham are interested in making a move for Barcelona midfielder Arthur this summer.
What’s the word?
The summer will represent Jose Mourinho’s second transfer window whilst in charge of Spurs, and it appears he has his eyes set on a new play-making central midfielder.
Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo suggest that the north London side are set to battle Serie A giants Inter for the services of Arthur, and that they would both be able to offer the Brazilian a substantial increase on his current wages at the Camp Nou.
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The report adds that with Barcelona interested in Inter’s Lautaro Martinez, Arthur’s availability has been the subject of discussion, with Spurs catching wind of it and throwing their name into the hat too.
The next Xavi
When Barcelona icon Xavi himself admits that he sees a lot of himself in Arthur, then you know you’ve got a top player on your hands. The Spain legend said: “I see myself when I see Arthur on television. He is a very quick thinker. He has a natural talent, but most of all, he has a lot of room to improve through training. Arthur is already a mature player and I see that he has massive untapped potential.”
The Brazilian is the ultimate midfield play-maker even at 23, helping to dictate the tempo of games with his laser-like passing. Despite playing over 50 passes per game in La Liga this season, he has an unbelievable pass accuracy of 91.2%, and it’s no surprise that a former Juventus scout, Junior Chavare, waxed lyrical about his ability.
He said: “He’s got 360-degree vision. If you come after him from one side, he escapes through the other. His decision-making is spectacular.”
Forget the likes of Harry Winks and Oliver Skipp. Bringing Arthur to north London would land Spurs a bona-fide star who could run the Lilywhites’ midfield for the next decade or so. He may not have succeeded in being Xavi’s long-term heir in Barcelona, but he could certainly be that in north London.