According to Sport, Barcelona's head of talent scouting João Amaral attended on Sunday to watch 19-year-old Brazilian centre-back Arthur Dias, who currently plays for Athletico Paranaense.

Amaral took advantage of an event in São Paulo this week to travel to Curitiba and watch Arthur Dias play against Bahia, the club owned by City Football Group. Like other potential targets on their list, Deco also wants to personally monitor this player's development. Barcelona's scouting team has given Arthur Dias a high rating in their reports.

Despite his young age, Arthur Dias has made 50 appearances for Athletico Paranaense's first team. His performances have attracted attention from Barcelona, as well as European clubs including Tottenham Hotspur, Benfica, and Como. He has also caught the attention of Carlo Ancelotti, who called him up to Brazil's squad for upcoming friendly matches against Australia and India, marking the beginning of a new World Cup cycle for Brazil.

Ancelotti's call-up of the young player is unsurprising, as he wants to refresh the squad after a disappointing World Cup campaign. Brazil performed poorly at the tournament, and players like Neymar, Casemiro, and Danilo were unable to turn things around. Ancelotti also called up two other promising centre-backs: Vitor Reis (20), the former Girona player who has seen limited minutes under Enzo Maresca at Manchester City; and Jair (21), who is comfortable with both feet and is expected to get more playing time at Nottingham Forest this season.

Seeking left-footed centre-backs

Arthur Dias meets Barcelona's requirements. He is left-footed, makes clean short and long passes, is equally comfortable with both feet, and possesses leadership qualities and personality. He has consistently served as captain of Brazil's U-20 team, plays with confidence, and has developed rapidly. However, he is not yet fully mature, particularly in defensive aggression and intensity, which is unsurprising for his age. He fits the profile of player preferred by Barcelona's technical department.

The market for left-footed centre-backs is expensive due to a scarcity of talent. For Barcelona, Flick's tactical style further narrows the candidate list. The club is considering recruiting a young centre-back at a relatively affordable price, allowing him to continue developing, or even promoting him directly to the first team. Arthur Dias is one such candidate: he has been called up to Brazil's senior squad and has made 50 appearances for Athletico Paranaense's first team. Athletico Paranaense has been one of the surprise packages in the 2024 Brasileirão season, currently sitting in third place.

Deco and his team are considering more options beyond Arthur Dias. With the season just underway, Barcelona is already planning reinforcements, focusing on this position for potential additions in the winter transfer window or next summer.

Another option Deco is considering is bringing in an experienced centre-back with a proven track record. Cubarsí has benefited from the guidance of two high-level predecessors: Iñigo Martínez, who had an impressive spell at Barcelona, and Laporte with Spain's national team. Last summer, Cubarsí won the World Cup alongside Laporte; this season, Laporte nearly became his teammate at Barcelona.

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