Barcelona are reportedly considering the prospect of re-signing former midfielder Arthur Melo, who is open to a return to Camp Nou.
According to SPORT, Juventus midfielder Arthur Melo is pondering the possibility of returning to Barcelona this summer, with the Catalans also considering re-signing the Brazilian international.
Arthur joined Barcelona in the summer of 2018 from Brazilian outfit Gremio. The 25-year-old enjoyed a fruitful two-year stint at Camp Nou during which he made 71 appearances, scoring four and assisting six goals. However, the Catalans decided to move him on in 2020 as part of a swap deal that saw Miralem Pjanic arrive at Camp Nou.
However, it would be safe to say that the deal has not worked out as planned for either Barcelona or Juventus. Pjanic has fallen out of favour at Camp Nou, and having spent the last season away on loan, the Bosnian is likely to be sold permanently this summer. Meanwhile, Arthur has struggled in Turin, failing to establish himself as a regular starter for the Bianconeri.
In two years at Juventus, Arthur has played 61 matches, of which only 24 have been starts in Serie A. The Bianconeri have added the likes of Manuel Locatelli and Denis Zakaria to their midfield department in the last two transfer window. They are also poised to re-sign Paul Pogba on a free transfer imminently, having agreed a deal with the former Manchester United star.
So, Arthur’s time at the Allianz Stadium is pretty much up and a potential return to Barcelona has now emerged as a possibility for the former Gremio starlet.
Barcelona have already strengthened their midfield this summer with Franck Kessie set to sign imminently on a Bosman deal. However, the Blaugrana are likely to bid goodbye to Frenkie de Jong, who is closing in on a transfer to Manchester United. With Riqui Puig also set to depart, there will be an opening in the midfield department at Camp Nou.
Bernardo Silva has emerged as Xavi Hernandez’s preferred target to replace the exit-bound de Jong. However, signing him from Manchester City will be difficult. So, the possibility of re-signing Arthur is being considered, with the 25-year-old’s return being discussed in the Barcelona offices.
The report says that Xavi would be willing to green-light the return of the Brazilian, while the midfielder is keen on a move back to Camp Nou. It is even claimed that Arthur would be open to lowering his wages to secure a return to Barcelona. However, it remains to be seen if the Catalan giants consider it as a serious possibility or look at alternatives.
