"Arthur has a brilliant future ahead of him at Barça"

Gremio coach Renato Portaluppi is responsible for giving Arthur his first big chance. He welcomed SPORT to the club's Luiz Carvalho training ground to speak about the Brazilian midfielder, who Barcelona have an option to sign for 30 million euros. 

You spotted Arthur...

The credit goes to Arthur. As the coach, I just discovered him in one of the teams when I came to Gremio. I saw him traning and noticed his great quality. My job is to observe, but it means nothing if the player has no quality. What surprised me is no one had picked him up before. 

But you did. 

Having been a player before helps a lot when detecting certain qualities, but I also observed Arthur from the view of a coach. My professional obligation is to see what others don't. 

What caught you attention? 

I saw a player different to the other. Of course he still has some defects -- not many -- but we're trying to iron them out. He's a young, very intelligent player and he has a good family. That helps a lot. 

What happened next? 

He started playing for the first team and he did even better than in training. For me, it wasn't a surprise because I knew sooner or later he would get his opportunity and take advantage of it. He got the shirt and never left the team again. 

Arthur has a European style?

He has a Brazilian style and at the same time a European style, because he's a strong player who protects the ball well. It's difficult to get the all off him. He visualises the game. 

You were a forward -- what does Arthur add further up the pitch for the front men?

The same as Iniesta for the forwards at Barça. Obviously he's still not reached that level, but they have a similar way of playing. Arthur can easy himself away from opponents and move forward. He plays with his head up and that makes a big difference in football. 

What will happen now at Gremio? 

He will keep growing. Now, above anything, he has a great deal of confidence in himself. He knows in July he will be bought by Barcelona and he will go there at the end of the year. He knows he has a good chance to go to the World Cup. He's young. When a player has confidence, they tend to improve in every game. He will gain more experience, even being at Gremio, and will play important games. 

What level can he reach? 

He has a brilliant future not just at Barça, but with the national team. If he doesn't go to this World Cup in the end, he will be at the next one for sure. The day he goes to Europe, he will grow a lot. 

Why? 

He will learn a lot more, because he will play at one of the best clubs in the world, a club that wins nearly everything, alongside the best player in the world and other great players. It's normal that he'd grow as a player... a lot. He is young and he has a lot to give the game. 

Is he ready to play for Barcelona? 

That depends on the chances he has. It's normal that he won't play everything at first. He needs to know the group, his teammates, how they play, how Barça play, what the coach wants from him... But you can be sure that after that moment has passed, in the hour of truth, when he's settled in the city, knows La Liga and Barcelona, he will progress even more.