Barcelona transfer news: Griezmann deal all but done, Gremio chief confirms Arthur agreement, and more - 1st March 2018

Antoine Griezmann is set to join Barcelona

The Atletico Madrid forward looks to have finally decided upon his summer destination and it is Barcelona much to the delight of their fans, according to reports from The Catalan Media Corporation.

The 26-year old has an agreement with the Blaugrana to join them at the end of the current season where Atletico are the only real competition for the Catalan outfit in their quest to win the La Liga.

Either way, the Frenchman is set to join Lionel Messi and co. with Barcelona reportedly set to pay his exit clause of €100 million. The superstar signed a new contract last summer to stay at the Wanda Metropolitano which included a release clause of €200 million. However, that price will go down by half this summer and the La Liga leaders are willing to cash in on it.

Further, Griezmann is set to be welcomed with open arms in the Barcelona dressing room, as per Sport.

The news outlet states that he is one of the highest-rated players in the eyes of the current squad. While Neymar's replacements, Ousmane Dembele and Philippe Coutinho, will need time to acclimatise to the league, the former Real Sociedad striker is well-versed with football in Spain and can immediately propel the Blaugrana to win more trophies.

Thus, Ernesto Valverde looks set to have another match-winner in his ranks this summer.

---

Arthur Melo's deal nears completion

Arthur deal nears completion

The Gremio midfielder is set to become a Barcelona player in the near future as the Brazilian club have reportedly agreed on his sale, as per Spanish news outlet, Mundo Deportivo. This news was confirmed by the club's chief of staff following a 1-1 draw between Gremio and Defensor Sporting in the Copa Libertadores, as per the report.

While Gremio president, Romildo Bozan Jr, refused to comment on the situation, his chief of staff, Marcus, all but confirmed the deal when he said:

"Everything is agreed, the numbers are already closed. All that remains is to draft the contracts, which can probably be finalized this week."

Thus, Valverde will add a quality player in Arthur, whose style of play is likened to that of Andres Iniesta. Further, at 21 years of age, the talented midfielder will have his best years at Camp Nou, but he will have to wait until January 2019 to officially join the Blaugrana as Gremio want the player until the end of this year.

Nevertheless, this is a good deal for Barcelona as Coutinho gets ample time to try and make the role his own before Arthur arrives next year.

---

Toby Alderweireld move dependant on Yerry Mina

Alderweireld pursuit is dependant on Yerry Mina's performance

The Tottenham Hotspur centre-back is one half of arguably the best defence in the Premier League. His contract talks have stalled, as per reports from The Independent, and the Belgian's contract expires in 2020.

If Spurs fail to extend his contract before the summer of 2019, a release clause of £25 million gets activated in that summer, which is extremely low for a defender of his quality.

Now, Barcelona are allegedly interested in the player, as per Mundo Deportivo (via Pressreader.com), but it has a condition to it. The Blaugrana's pursuit of Alderweireld is dependant on the performances of January signing, Yerry Mina. The Colombian joined from Palmeiras this year and is slowly adapting to his new surroundings.

Thus, the Catalan outfit are willing to wait and watch how Mina steps up at Barcelona and if he fails to make the expected impact, then they will look to Alderweireld as an established alternative to bolster their ageing backline.