Barcelona are reportedly interested in signing young Brazilian midfielder Matheus Henrique and the 21-year-old has already been scouted by the Blaugrana club officials. He currently plays for Brazilian side Gremio, having moved from São Caetano on a permanent deal in 2018.
According to Forbes, Barcelona see Henrique as a possible replacement for their long-serving defensive midfielder Sergio Busquets. The report states that Barcelona official Ramon Planes scouted the midfielder recently. Henrique has a release clause of $132 million, which Barca may not be willing to pay but the financial crisis that Brazilian clubs are in could force them to part ways with the 21-year-old for a much cheaper price.
Matheus Henrique spent a year on loan at Gremio before making the move a permanent one. The 21-year-old midfielder has made 37 appearances for the club, scoring twice and making one assist. The Brazilian has four years remaining on his current deal with his contract set to expire only in 2023. Henrique has played once for the Brazilian national team, with his debut coming earlier this year.
Henrique is a player who can play as a central midfielder, defensive midfielder and even in a slightly advanced midfield role. The Brazilian is a player who can control the game from midfield, with good passing range and assured presence at the heart of the action. The 21-year-old keeps the ball ticking in midfield and rarely concedes possession.
This season, Henrique has averaged 72.9 passes per game in the Brazilian league, with a passing rate of 91.9%. Those are fantastic numbers for a midfielder who looks to dictate the tempo of the game. He also likes to get stuck in and win back the ball in midfield, averaging 2 tackles per game this season.
He also likes to move the ball forward and uses his smart dribbling skills to get out of tricky situations. Henrique is a player with great potential and could be the eventual successor of Busquets at Barcelona. With reports of Arturo Vidal and Ivan Rakitic set to leave the club, Barcelona need to sign at least one midfielder in the next two transfer windows. While the jump from the Brazilian league to La Liga is a big one, current Barcelona midfielder Arthur has shown that it won’t take a long time to adjust to the Spanish league with proper application.
Matheus Henrique could follow in the footsteps of his compatriot and become a hit at Barcelona.
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