Barcelona beat Manchester United to Brazilian midfielder

Barcelona have agreed a deal for Gremio midfielder Arthur, fending off competition from Manchester United in the process, reports The Daily Mail.

The La Liga giants were heavily linked with a move for the 21-year-old in January but failed in their attempts to get a deal over the line.

Ernesto Valverde’s side have finally agreed a deal but Arthur will remain with Gremio for the rest of the year and join Barcelona in January 2019.

Barcelona have reportedly agreed a £35.2m deal with their Brazilian counterparts, making the young midfielder the fifth most expensive player in Brasileirao history.

Jose Mourinho expressed late interest in Arthur as the United manager looks to bolster his midfield options but the Brazilian will join Barcelona.

The former Brazil U20 international finished last season’s Brasileirao with the best pass success rate (93.1%) in the division.