Gaizka Mendieta has admitted that he is a big fan of Barcelona midfielder Arthur Melo, comparing the reported Tottenham Hotspur target to Spanish legend Xavi in quotes reported by Tuttomercatoweb.
A former Lazio, Middlesbrough and Valencia star is not the only man to make the comparison between Arthur and one of the most influential footballers of the 21st century.
Blessed with a metronomic passing range and the ability to orchestrate the play like Mozart in his prime, this £27 million Brazil international is certainly a player with Barca DNA running through his veins.
So why on earth the La Liga champions are willing to sell a 23-year-old who looks like the closest thing we have to Xavi in the modern game is anyone’s guess.
Arthur, if Goal is to be believed, is being pushed out of the door at the Camp Nou after just two seasons in Catalonia.
And, according to Mundo Deportivo in April, Tottenham would jump at the chance to offer him a fresh start in north London.
“We are talking about a great midfielder,” says Mendieta, a player who knows a thing or two about dominating a game at the highest level.
“In Spain, they compare him not by chance to Xavi for the way he touches the ball and reads the game. Personally, however, I hope that he stays in Barça and in La Liga.
“I like Arthur very much.”
Spurs fans may be tempted to draw comparisons with a young Luka Modric – and they would not be a million miles wide of the mark.
Completing 91 per cent of his passes this season, Arthur could give Spurs an element of control that has been lacking all-too often since Christian Eriksen departed for Inter Milan during the January transfer window.
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