Barcelona and Juventus have reportedly reached an €80 million agreement over the summer transfer of Arthur Melo.
According to a report published by Sky Sports, Barcelona and Juventus have reached an agreement over the transfer of Arthur Melo for a fee that amounts to €80 million. The Bianconeri, though, must convince the player to move.
Arthur joined Barcelona in the summer of 2018 from Gremio after a string of impressive performances in the Brazilian league, having been promoted to the senior team as a 19-year-old. The midfielder, who looks at Andres Iniesta as an idol, has been compared to Xavi in terms of his passing, turning and controlling the tempo of the game.
The midfielder took time settling into the club and did not get the chance to play 90 minutes in a game a lot of times, pertaining to his issues with stamina. However, he seems to be in better shape this season and has registered three goals and assists each in the 20 games he has played. Despite his impressive performances, Arthur has been linked with a move away from the Camp Nou, with Juventus hot on his trails.
This transfer rumour boils down to Barcelona’s desire to add Miralem Pjanic to their roaster for next season, and were initially happy to trade Arthur with the Bosnian. However, this idea does not seem to have gone down well with the fanbase or with Arthur, who does not want to leave the club.
The 23-year-old is an astute passer and dribbler and would fit seamlessly into the system employed by Maurizio Sarri, who wants to build his team around him like he did with Jorginho at Napoli and Chelsea. For Barcelona, however, this transfer could end up costing them even though they will make a 100% profit, having agreed an €80 million fee with Juventus.
Arthur is touted to be one of the best midfielders in the world in the future and could form an everlasting partnership on the pitch with Frenkie de Jong, Riqui Puig and others for the Blaugrana. Moreover, Pjanic and Arthur are extremely similar players and it might not be prudent to replace a 23-year-old with a player past his prime, mentally and physically.
Barcelona might want to groom Puig to take over that number 8 role from Arthur if they are so keen to sell him, or if they really do want a central midfielder from the Serie A, Josep Bartomeu should take a look at Fabian Ruiz, who can solve Barcelona’s midfield muddle before it happens. For now, though, it looks like Arthur might be Juventus-bound, with an €80 million fee agreed.
