The Brazilian has become a favourite at the Camp Nou since arriving last summer from Gremio for £35million.
Arthur has had big boots to fill in the absence of Andres Iniesta who joined Japanese club Vissel Kobe.
It’s safe to say he’s hit the ground running in Catalonia and is a regular in Ernesto Valverde’s midfield alongside Sergio Busquets and Ivan Rakitic.
But the 22-year-old has been disciplined this week in the wake of Barcelona’s Copa del Rey semi-final first leg draw with Real Madrid.
Arthur played the full match but was warned about his conduct after he was seen partying at Neymar’s birthday celebrations in Paris 48 hours prior to the clash.
His attendance did not send out the best message so close to such an important fixture.
According to Spanish newspaper Marca, Barcelona’s technical staff spoke to Arthur and warned him about what is expected at a club of their stature.
Valverde was not angry enough to drop the star and the talks were more to stop him making a similar mistake in the future.
Barcelona have had their fare share of discipline problems with young players this season.
Ousmane Dembele was punished for consistently arriving late for training at the start of the campaign.
Multiple reports in Spain claimed the star had been staying up late playing video games and forgetting to charge his phone meaning his alarm would fail.
Arthur was compared to Xavi earlier this season by Rio Ferdinand, after turning in a superb performance in Barca’s Champions League win at Tottenham.
Despite the talking to, he was one of the best players on the pitch in the 1-1 draw on Wednesday.
He finished the match with a 92 per cent pass completion rate having attempted 78, which was more than any other player on the field.
The Blaugrana are six points clear at the summit in La Liga, they extended their lead by a point after Atletico Madrid lost at Real Betis last weekend.
Valverde’s men are now set for a season defining month, facing Real Madrid twice as well as Lyon in the Champions League Round of 16.
Arthur is praying that his friend Neymar returns to Barcelona.
"I personally am praying for him to come because he is a superstar, it is indisputable," Arthur told Mundo Deportivo.
"I think that the more great players the team has, the better.
"Personally, I'm doing a lot of work to get him back, but he has his life, he knows what he's doing and I do not know how deep those negotiations are, if there are options for him to come or not.
"But he is a personal friend and a professional that I admire a lot and would be very happy if he could come back here."
Arthur has one assist in 16 matches in La Liga, but he is not expected to record big numbers seeing as he plays just in front of the back four.
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February 08, 2019 at 04:28PM
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