Premier League giants Arsenal remain the most likely destination for Juventus midfielder Arthur Melo but the costs involved in the transfer are making a deal ‘extremely complicated’, as reported by Corriere dello Sport.
You can say that again.
Two years on from joining Barcelona in a move that was certainly hard to get your head around – Miralem Pjanic went the other way but this was far from a simple swap deal – it’s fitting that Arthur’s departure from the Serie A giants would be far from straightforward either.
According to Tuttomercatoweb, Arsenal kick-started negotiations with the diminutive Brazil international in May, after narrowly missing out during the winter window.
“In January, he was close to Arsenal,” says the 25-year-old’s agent, Federico Pastorello, before suggesting that Arthur would benefit from a fresh start after struggling to establish himself under Max Allegri.
“He is too important a player to be marginalised. He must also think about the national team (with the World Cup on the horizon).”
“Under (former Juve boss Maurizio) Sarri he would have played the Jorginho role. But while Allegri likes him, he wants two physical midfielders.”
Arsenal back in for Juventus’ Arthur Melo
It’s fair to say physicality isn’t really Arthur’s strong point. He’s just 5ft 7ins, after all, and excels when playing short, sharp passes, dictating the game from a deep-lying midfield role rather than powering forward with a burst of nitrus-powered acceleration, a la Adrien Rabiot or Weston McKennie. With that in mind, he feels better suited to an Arsenal side who’s central midfield players tend to keep things simple, allowing Emile Smith Rowe, Martin Odegaard and co to do the hard running in attack.
According to Corriere dello Sport, Juventus are hoping to cash in on Arthur in order to free up funds for PSG’s Leandro Paredes. Arsenal remain the most likely destination, too, but there is a long way to go yet.
The report adds that Arthur’s £80,000-a-week wages make finding a buyer more difficult than it would be otherwise. Then again, Arsenal should not have a problem meeting those demands, unlike fellow suitors such as Sevilla.
His reported £40 million price-tag feels like an altogether bigger obstacle, however. Especially when you consider that Arthur has struggled for fitness and form during two years in Turin.
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