Gremio hold firm as Barcelona told to wait for €40m Man Utd target

Oli Fisher

Gremio have denied that Barcelona have a deal in place to sign €40m-rated Manchester United target Arthur, despite reports.

Reports in Brazil have suggested that a deal between Barca and Gremio is very close to conclusion, with a fee between €30-40m expected.

Catalan paper SPORT claim that they are looking to push the move through quickly after learning of Manchester United and Chelsea interest.

However, Gremio president Romildo Bolzan has denied that a deal is in place for the 20-year-old to join the Camp Nou club in January 2019.

“A deal has still not been finalized,” Bolzan said. “There have been plenty of discussions but at this stage the transfer cannot be considered a foregone conclusion.”

AS claim that Barcelona are even attempting to push forward Philippe Coutinho’s application for EU residency, which he qualifies for through his Portuguese wife.

This would mean that one of the three permitted non-EU spots in Barca’s squad would become free, allowing Arthur to join.

 

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