Barcelona’s Arthur collapse could let in Prem pair over €55m deal

Barcelona’s failure to agree a deal for Arthur has put the Gremio midfielder back on the radar of both Chelsea and Manchester United, according to reports.

The highly-rated Brazilian midfielder had looked set to join the La Liga giants after his agent travelled to Catalonia for talks with Barcelona’s hierarchy.

But with Gremio seeking €55million for the player and Barcelona reportedly only willing to offer €35million up front with a further €10million in add-ons, Marca have reported that the deal has collapsed.

And amid claims Barcelona are looking to rein in their spending following two big outlays for Ousmane Dembele and Philippe Coutinho over the last two transfer windows, the Spanish newspaper also claim Ernesto Valverde’s side were struggling to meet Arthur’s wage demands.

However, news of the transfer collapse is likely to alert both Chelsea and Manchester United, who have scouted the midfielder in the past.

The Premier League pair had given up hope of landing the 21-year-old, though, as he seemingly had his heart set on joining Barca.

But now with that deal now well and truly sunk – Marca believe there is little chance of the transfer to the Nou Camp being resurrected – Chelsea and Manchester United have been given a second chance to sign the highly-rated youngster.

The 21-year-old – whose full name is Arthur Henrique Ramos de Oliveira Melo – has been capped by Brazil at Under-20 level but is widely expected to win a place in their squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

 

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