Arsenal are prepared to reignite their interest in Brazilian midfielder Arthur Melo, with Juventus likely to sell the former Barcelona star in the summer.
According to Calciomercato, Arsenal are still interested in signing Arthur Melo and could pursue the midfielder in the summer window. A deal is considered possible, as Juventus are set to allow some of their current stars to leave the club following their Champions League elimination.
Arthur Melo has had a couple of seasons following his exit from Barcelona, failing to cement a regular place at Juventus. The Brazilian was considered a rising star following some good performances in Spain, and he was expected to carry that form in Turin.
However, the presence of better players in his position and the fact that two Juventus managers have consistently overlooked him begged the question over his long-term future. But there has been a visible dip in form, which has lowered his value in recent seasons.
Juventus have not been convincing all season. They have been resigned to fighting for a top-four place rather than competing for the Serie A title. They have made a few important transfers in the summer and January transfer window; the club is already planning for the next season, with the midfield unit a priority.
The process has already begun with the transfers of Manuel Locatelli and Denis Zakaria in the last two windows. Juventus are prepared to let some of their current stars leave, with Rodrigo Bentancur the first to see the exit door with his move to Tottenham in January. Adrien Rabiot and Arthur could be next, with plenty of interest in the latter.
Newcastle United are interested in Arthur and could join Arsenal in vying for him in the next window, as both clubs eye a midfielder with a specific profile. The Gunners, in particular, are looking for a left-sided player who could play a slightly advanced no.8 role, something Granit Xhaka has been doing in recent weeks.
The Swiss midfielder’s long-term future could be in doubt as links with AS Roma continue to exist. Arthur is being considered as one of the players Mikel Arteta would like as a replacement, although there are other options, including Juventus-linked Renato Sanches.
Arsenal were close to signing Arthur in January, but Juventus’s demands for a longer loan period and a subsequent obligation to buy clause triggered the Gunners to pull out of negotiations. They could now look to reignite their chase once again in the summer transfer window and explore the idea of signing the Brazilian.
It remains to be seen if the Gunners are serious about their interest or if these are just another round of media stories linking previously connected players to rehash their efforts. There could be significant movement out of Juventus, with Arthur likely to be one of them.
