Barcelona will need to sell one of their non-EU players to accommodate their latest acquisition.
The Blaugrana have agreed a deal with Gremio to sign 21-year old Brazilian Arthur for a fee of €30 million plus €9 million in variables, with the attacking midfielder poised to join in the summer ahead of the 2018/19 campaign.
However, having signed Philippe Coutinho for £142 million from Liverpool in January, as well as Colombian defender Yerry Mina joining, the club have reached the quota of three players from countries outside the EU.
Back in February, Mundo Deportivo reported that Coutinho was applying for a Portuguese passport so that he counts an EU player. Because his wife is Portuguese, he is able to gain dual nationality but according to SPORT, the process won't be complete until January 2019 at the earliest.
According to the report, Barca's original plan was for Arthur to come into the fold by the time Coutinho's passport had arrived but they now acknowledge that will not happen.
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Thus, Barca are faced with a bit of a dilemma. They could keep Arthur at Gremio until Coutinho receives Portuguese citizenship or they will have to get rid of someone - most likely Mina because of the importance that Paulinho and Coutinho have to the team.
If you were wondering why Luis Suarez isn't involved in the equation, it's because he obtained an Italian passport through his wife, Sofia Balbi.
Having only just joined, and given he's very much one for the future, Barca would look to loan Mina out and aid his development, as opposed to selling him.
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Football News, FC Barcelona, Football, Philippe Coutinho, La Liga
