Ernesto Valverde expects a bright future for Brazilian star Arthur who scored a brilliant goal on his debut for the club, as Barcelona won 5-3 on penalties against Tottenham in a pre-season friendly.

After the departure of legendary midfielder Andres Iniesta to J-League side Vissel Kobe and the exit of Paulinho to China, the €40 million signing from Gremio will have a lot to prove.

And the 21-year old didn’t disappoint in his first outing, in the International Champions Cup encounter against Spurs that ended 2-2, after Arthur had scored a wonderful goal.

“He is a player that can give us a lot. He can give us possession, goals and he was really motivated today. He had a great game during the minutes that he played,” Valverde said.

Arthur is expected to lead Barca’s midfield in the coming season, alongside fellow Brazilian Philippe Coutinho, Spanish defensive midfielder Sergio Busquets and Croatian star Ivan Rakitic.