The January transfer window is almost upon us, and following the arrival of Amanda Staveley, all eyes are on Newcastle.
The Magpies are said to have £190m to spend on reinforcements this winter, and you’d expect them to be busy as they languish in 19th place.
One player who could be joining Eddie Howe on Tyneside is Juventus maestro Arthur, according to La Repubblica.
The Brazil international – who Juventus paid €82m (£70m) for – is said to be unhappy with his lack of playing time in Turin.
He has made just one start in Serie A this season.
Arthur will demand an exit if his situation remains the same, with Newcastle monitoring his situation.
Lionel Messi loves Arthur
One man who rates Arthur highly is Lionel Messi, of all people.
When the Brazilian arrived at Barcelona in 2018, the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner admitted he was surprised at how good the 25-year-old was.
Speaking to MARCA, Messi said: “He is very similar to Xavi as he likes to have the ball, play short, not lose it and is very solid. He surprised me.”
If Messi thinks you’re a good player, that speaks volumes.
The 34-year-old trained alongside Arthur on a daily basis for years, so if anyone knows what type of player he is, it’s Messi.
Newcastle need Arthur
It’s interesting to hear Messi compare Arthur to Xavi, as that’s exactly the type of player Howe needs at Newcastle.
The Magpies lack a playmaker who can control the tempo of a game, someone like Toni Kroos, Luka Modric or Andrea Pirlo.
Having a midfield orchestrator like this would help give Newcastle and Howe more control during games, which is never a bad thing.
Keep an eye on this saga, as Arthur could hand in a transfer request if he doesn’t get more game time soon.
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