Following repeated links to Arsenal earlier in the summer, Gremio midfielder Bitello has signed for FC Dynamo Moscow.

On Thursday night, FC Dynamo Moscow announced the signing of former Gremio midfielder Bitello, with the player signing a long-term agreement to 2028.

“He enjoys playing football and at the same time working for the team,” Dynamo Deputy General Director Zeljko Buvac said of Bitello.

“A light step, mobile in both directions, good technique, football intelligence. He can play in multiple positions.”

Bitello had been linked with Arsenal earlier in the summer, but Fabrizio Romano reports that those links were always described as “wide of the mark”.

Romano had previously confirmed that Bitello was one of the players Arsenal’s South American scouting team were following and monitoring, but he added that things weren’t as advanced as others are claiming.

The journalist confirmed that Arsenal hadn’t submitted an official bid, despite claims of advancing negotiations.

Brazilian outlet UOL had claimed Arsenal were interested in signing Bitello, and that club technical director Edu Gaspar was in contact with Gremio to try and close the deal. But those reports never led anywhere.

At the time, a further complication was that Gremio were keen to keep Bitello for the remainder of the year.

The Brazilian league operates on a calendar-year basis, and the club were in the semi-finals of the Copa do Brasil and competing towards the top of the Brazilian Serie A.

But things then went downhill, with Flamengo eliminating Gremio from the cup and a 12-point gap opening up between Bitello’s club and league leaders Botafogo.

Given those developments, Gremio evidently opted to cash in.