Official: Barcelona confirm Arthur sale

Barcelona have confirmed that they have reached an agreement with Juventus for the transfer of Arthur in the summer transfer window.

Barcelona have made an official statement to confirm that they have agreed terms with Juventus for the sale of Arthur in the summer transfer window. The Serie A champions will pay a base fee of €72 million to their Spanish counterparts in addition to €10 million in add-ons.

Arthur joined Barcelona from Gremio in the summer of 2018 and enjoyed a solid maiden campaign at Camp Nou. But, the dreaded second season syndrome has struck for the Brazilian international, who has seen his role reduce considerably this term, sharing game time with the likes of Ivan Rakitic and Arturo Vidal, both of whom are hardly primary options at the club.

So far this season, Arthur has started a mere 17 games across all competitions, struggling to establish himself under both Ernesto Valverde and Quique Setien. His predicament at Barcelona became even more deep rooted, as speculation surrounding his future starting growing like wildfire in recent weeks.

The initial reports suggested that Arthur would join Juventus as part of a swap deal which would see Miralem Pjanic join Barcelona. Of late, though, it emerged that the deals for the two players will be separate, with the Bianconeri touted to pay Barcelona €80 million to secure the services of the 23-year-old.

The move has now been confirmed, with Barcelona announcing that Juventus will pay them a base fee of €72 million, with an additional €10 million in variables. The Brazilian midfielder has signed a five-year contract with the Italian champions after completing his medical on Sunday, according to Sky Sports.

As far as Juventus are concerned, a move for Arthur makes a great deal of sense, considering they have an ageing midfield unit. Maurizio Sarri currently has Adrien Rabiot, Aaron Ramsey, Rodrigo Bentancur, Sami Khedira, Blaise Matuidi and Pjanic at his disposal, as far as midfielders are concerned.

But while Pjanic has his heart set on a move to Barcelona, Matuidi and Khedira are well into the twilight of their careers. Furthermore, with Pjanic set to leave, Arthur is one player who can bolster the creative side of things, perhaps even more than Pjanic does.

As for Barcelona, the deal does not make a great deal of sense, at least as far as the footballing aspect is concerned. However, considering their financial difficulties, the Blaugrana can certainly do with the funds generated from the sale of Arthur. Meanwhile, the player will complete this term at Camp Nou before joining Juventus. For now, Arthur looks set for a new phase in his career.