Barcelona are reportedly keeping tabs on Fran Beltran and are likely to move to sign the Celta Vigo youngster in the summer of 2019.
Spanish publication Don Balon are breaking an intriguing story. The report iterates that Barcelona are looking to cash in on Arthur in the coming transfer window(s) and use the revenue to strengthen their ranks with a Spanish youngster. The young midfielder in question is Celta Vigo star Fran Beltran.
Francisco Jose Beltran Peinaldo, better known as Fran, emerged from the Rayo Vallecano youth setup. The player was snapped up by Celta Vigo in the summer of 2018 after a couple of seasons in the first-team setup at Vallecano. At Celta, the 19-year-old has hit the ground running.
Fran has featured in every single La Liga match for Celta thus far and his performances are starting to draw interest and praise. Barcelona are one of the clubs that have taken a liking to the midfielder after his displays and are keeping tabs on his performances at Celta Vigo.
The Catalan giants have signed Arturo Vidal and Arthur Melo to strengthen their midfield options. But, Vidal has not managed to wow the fans and pundits alike with his displays so far. Arthur, on the other hand, will naturally take some time to adjust to European football.
But, according to the report, Barcelona, despite being aware of Arthur’s potential, are ready to ship him to the Premier League in hopes of making a profit like in the case of Lucas Digne and Yerry Mina. The defending La Liga champions intend to use the profit to invest into a young prospect; more precisely, Fran Beltran.
The detail about offloading Arthur Melo is what should irk the Barcelona fans. The midfielder has been likened to Xavi and Andres Iniesta in terms of his approach to football and has already shown he has what it takes while making his senior international debut for Brazil.
As for Fran, the 19-year-old is also in his first true season as a starter in La Liga. If one compares Arthur and Fran’s performances thus far, the latter should edge the Brazilian import. It is unclear what the 19-year-old will cost in the transfer market right now.
But, it will surely be a lot less compared to the value he could command after a successful season under his belt. Barcelona intend to do business for Arthur, preferably to the Premier League, with the Catalans receiving premium on two players already from the league.
Their intention of investing in Fran’s future might pay off. But, Arthur’s sale is something that will be hard to gulp for the Barcelona fans, especially with the hype his potential has been able to generate.
