RIO DE JANEIRO, Jan. 6 -- Barcelona midfielder Arthur has lavished praise on club great Xavi and admits that he models his game on the Spain World Cup winner.

Arthur has adapted impressively to life at the Camp Nou since his July move from Gremio, having earned a regular starting berth under manager Ernesto Valverde.

His style of play - particularly a penchant for keeping possession under pressure and finding space in tight situations - has prompted some pundits to dub him the new Xavi, though the Brazilian shies away from such comparisons.

"I've always admired him," Arthur told Brazil's TV Globo in an interview broadcast on Sunday. "Everything he did I try to do the same. He is a phenomenon. But there are things that you cannot do the same, no matter how hard you train.

"I've always admired his style of play. It is much more cerebral than anything else. These virtues, these qualities, I've always tried to bring into my own game."

Arthur, who earned his first Brazil cap in a 2-0 victory over the United States in September, also expressed his admiration for Barcelona teammate and five-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi.

"When you see him train you understand the dimension of what Messi is," the 22-year-old said. "He does things that nobody else can. Generally, when you're going to defend against a player, there are maybe two possibilities. With Messi, there are 15 or 20 because he has so many resources."

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