Five observations from Barcelona's 1-1 draw with Valencia

#3 Arthur could be the next great Barcelona midfielder

Arthur has drawn praise for his performances for FC Barcelona

Barcelona once had arguably the greatest midfield in football history, as the mythical combination of La Masia graduates, Busquets, Iniesta and Xavi, was so effective that it reaped immense dividends for club and country.

Xavi is widely hailed as a pass master, while Iniesta’s technicality is second to none, and together, they dominated opponents in midfield in a manner not seen before or since then.

Xavi departed the club in 2015, and since then, the club has yearned for a midfielder of his abilities, as the Blaugrana midfield suffered immensely from his departure, lacking its usual control brought about by Xavi’s effectiveness in ball distribution and retention.

Step in Arthur. The 22-year-old was signed from Gremio for a fee believed to be in the region of 40 from Gremio in March, with the player making his full transfer at the opening of the summer window in June.

He found playing time hard to come by early on in the season and made his first start in the Champions League game against Tottenham where he earned rave reviews for his impressive performances for Barcelona in the middle of the park.

He was rewarded with a start in La Liga against Valencia, and the Brazilian once more shone through, drawing comparisons with two Barcelona greats for the similarity in his distribution with that of Xavi, as well as his technique with Iniesta’s.

Against Los Che, Arthur attempted 142 passes, which was the most by a player in a La Liga away game since Xavi himself attempted 148 against Levante in 2012. Of his 142, 135 (95%) were completed, which is the highest by a player this season in La Liga.

Although it might be too early to thrust him into the pedestals occupied b the Barcelona legends, if Arthur should continue with this trajectory, then Barcelona would have found its heir to Xavi’s throne.