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Barcelona signed Arthur last July from Brazilian side Gremio for a fee of €40 million. The midfielder was signed keeping the departure of the great Andres Iniesta in mind. Arthur inherited Iniesta's jersey as well, and the early signs are certainly promising.
Arthur has made 27 appearances for Barcelona in his maiden season, with 16 of them coming in the league. Injuries have blighted his progress somewhat, but he has been in Ernesto Valverde's first-choice midfield recently. He plays in the midfield trio of the 4-3-3 system, usually as one of the advanced midfielders.
Comfortable on the ball, Arthur fits the Barca mould perfectly. He is brilliant at retaining possession and absorbing pressure, which has prompted many to liken him to Barcelona legend Xavi. In fact, Xavi himself echoed this sentiment, saying, “I see myself when I see Arthur on television."
Let's take a look at Arthur's season in detail. On the face of it, a return of 1 assist and no goals looks average at best. But Arthur's role at Barcelona cannot be judged based on goals and assists alone.
Barcelona stress on keeping possession and their tally of 61.6% is the highest in the league. Their buildup play is slow, and Valverde is content with large stretches of seemingly futile possession. Arthur is brilliant at keeping the ball, and his pass success of 94.5% is the highest in LaLiga. He completes 86.6 passes per 90 minutes, which is bettered by just one player in the league who has made a minimum of 5 appearances.
Arthur is an intelligent player, capable of receiving and distributing the ball in tight spaces. He is fouled 1.9 times per game, which is more than Lionel Messi. On the other hand, his dribbles completed are next to nothing. He shields the ball well and draws fouls to break out of the opposition's press.
His attacking game leaves a lot to be desired though. He manages just 0.5 key passes per game, which is just not good enough for a Barcelona player. Often, he seeks out the safer option rather than spotting a run. If he wants to emulate someone like Xavi, upping the creativity in his game is paramount.
He is not much of a goalscorer either and takes just 0.3 shots per game, the same as Sergio Busquets. Arthur's defensive numbers are not the best either. He lags behind Ivan Rakitic and Arturo Vidal in tackles and interceptions. That is one of the main reasons why Vidal has been preferred over the Brazilian at times.
Still just 22, Arthur has a huge scope for improvement. He needs to add more substance to his game, on both ends of the pitch. The early signs are promising though, and he looks set to have a bright future at the Camp Nou.
He has settled in well at the club, and his quiet personality has meshed in well with the dressing room. He signed a six-year contract in July, and he has shown enough to prove that the investment was a wise one. Keep an eye out, Arthur and Frenkie de Jong could form a deadly duo in the future for Barcelona.
