Arthur

Location: Goiânia, Brazil

The man from Brazil has deep rooted connections to his homeland. The allure of money and fame have always been secondary to the simple joys of having a football to play with as one day blends into the next. (Image: Instagram)

Born in Goiânia, Brazil, the midfielder began his career with local club Goiâs at 12 years of age before moving to Série A side Grêmio in 2010. He was promoted to the first-team in 2015 after impressing coach Luis Felipe Scolari, and was handed a debut against Aimoré for the Campeonato Gaúcho. In 2016, the Brazilian made his Premeira Liga vow during the final game of the league season as Grêmio fell to a 1-0 defeat to Botafogo. In 2017, the midfielder would stamp his authority on Grêmio's first-team following impressive performances in Primeira Liga and Campeonato Gaúcho. Come May, he scored his first professional goal, opening the scoring in 3-1 victory over Fluminense in a Copa do Brasil fixture; and in July he scored his first league goal, the second in a 3-1 victory over Vitória. The midfielder completed the season with an impressive 50 appearances for Grêmio. He left his native land with a host of individual and team trophies, including: Copa Libertadores (2017), Recopa Sudamericana (2018), Campeonato Gaúcho (2018), Campeonato Brasileiro Série A Team of the Year (2017), Campeonato Brasileiro Série A Best Newcomer (2017). On 9 July 2018, the Brazilian midfield maestro completed a switch to Spanish giants FC Barcelona for a fee of €40 million. Widely touted as the successor to Barca greats Xavi and Iniesta, with whom he drew comparisons due to his playing style. The midfielder made his debut in the Supercopa de Espańa as Barcelona ran out 2-1 winners over Sevilla, giving the Brazilian his first piece of silverware at his new club. His debut season saw him make 27 appearances in La Liga and 44 appearances in all competitions, culminating in a La Liga trophy.