Xavi: Barcelona ace Arthur reminds me of myself

Barcelona legend Xavi says midfield ace Arthur reminds him of himself.

Xavi is the record appearance holder for the Catalan giants and won a multitude of trophies in his time at the club.

Arthur arrived at Barcelona from Gremio in the summer and has made 11 appearances in all competitions so far, with the Blaugrana topping both La Liga and their Champions League group.

And Al Sadd midfielder Xavi was effusive in his praise of the Brazilian, who he believes has the potential to bring a great deal to his old side.

“I see myself when I see Arthur on television," said Xavi on Catalunya Radio.

"He is a very quick thinker. He has a natural talent, but most of all, he has a lot of room to improve through training.

“Arthur is already a mature player and I see that he has massive untapped potential.

"The priority during any match is to never lose the ball and he comes out of a tricky situation with ease. He has a strong personality already."

However, the decorated midfielder urged patience with the club's new signing, explaining that it would take time for him to display his full range of qualities due to the demands of playing for Barcelona.

“He needs at least 20 more matches in order to show all his resources," added Xavi. "He has impressive shooting skills and he will do a lot more for the team once he gets more confidence.

“Take Abidal for example, when he arrived in Barcelona he only did a couple things right. But through hard work and dedication during practice, he became the best defender in the world.

“Nothing comes easy at a club like FC Barcelona because playing at that club means that you are going through the [biggest test] of your career.

"In a club like this, you have to do at least two hundred things that you wouldn’t normally do at other clubs.”