Arsenal are not willing to pay Juventus’s €30 million asking price for Arthur Melo, and a loan deal along with a purchase option could be the solution.
According to Rudy Galetti on Tribal Football, Arsenal are unwilling to match the €30 million demanded by Juventus for midfield target Arthur Melo. The Gunners could be open to negotiating a loan deal with a purchase option, which may become a viable alternative for the Bianconeri to get rid of the unwanted Brazilian midfielder.
Arthur Melo has been one of the names mentioned as an Arsenal target since January. After failing to agree on terms over a loan move in the winter transfer window, the Gunners seem to have reignited talks with Juventus in another attempt to sign the Brazilian midfielder.
With Juventus signing Denis Zakaria in January and Paul Pogba a few weeks back, there is no room for Arthur in Massimiliano Allegri’s squad. The 25-year-old, and a few others, is free to leave, but the Serie A giants remains keen to extract decent value from suitors with their sales.
There have been reports of Arthur wanting to return to Barcelona, but the Blaugrana are not particularly keen on a deal. That leaves Arsenal as the only viable suitor to sign the Brazilian midfielder, but Mikel Arteta is yet to decide on his new midfield signing.
Arthur certainly fits the mould of a player needed by Arteta in his new look Arsenal side. Reports suggested that the north Londoners were willing to include Lucas Torreira in any possible move, but Juventus’s actual interest in the Uruguayan is unclear.
The Serie A giants want at least €30 million to part ways with Arthur, but Arsenal are unwilling to pay such a price. Instead, the Gunners could be open to a loan deal with a purchase option, to which Juventus reportedly have responded positively in the last few days.
The 25-year-old has talents that suit Arteta’s style, but the north London club are reluctant to invest a significant sum of money in his acquisition. Moreover, Arthur’s form since joining Juventus has been questionable; hence a loan deal would be considered safe by Arsenal instead of paying €30 million.
Arthur is not considered for a starting role in Arteta’s side, with Granit Xhaka the current first-choice midfielder on the left-hand side. Moreover, Arsenal signed Fabio Vieira in the summer, and Albert Sambi Lokonga showed promising signs in the position during the club’s pre-season tour.
Arthur could be best considered a high-quality depth option, although he could expect plenty of game time, with the five substitute rule now back in the Premier League. With the 2022 FIFA World Cup on the horizon, the best way to make the Brazilian squad is by playing enough games between now and November.
