Tottenham interested in Barcelona playmaker Arthur Melo

Tottenham join Inter Milan in the race for the Barcelona midfielder.

Jose Mourinho has made it quite clear that the current Tottenham set-up at midfield is not working. If he had it his way, he’d have an entirely new midfield come next season.

According to Mundo Deportivo, one name he’d like to add to his midfield is Barcelona’s Arthur Melo. They join Inter Milan in their pursuit of the Brazilian.

Spurs have already inquired about Arthur to the Catalan side and reportedly would be open to a deal that would include both a fee and a player. In the past, Barcelona have been interested in Tanguy Ndombele.

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That they face competition for Arthur is but one obstacle. The other is that Barcelona count on the player for next season and at 23-years-old, ideally he is one of the players they would like to build their midfield around.

They’ve expressed as much but will also let Arthur have the final say in his future. Given the club’s financial situation, they are not considering improving the player’s salary or wages.

This is where Tottenham come in. If they can offer a deal better than the one he is currently on, it is going to be difficult for Barcelona to match it. It will be up to Arthur on whether he wants to stay or go.

He has been linked with a move for Inter as he is one of the players the Italian side would accept in a possible deal for Lautaro Martinez. But Arthur made it known that he is only thinking about Barcelona at the moment.

"“For any player, it is a source of pride that his name is linked with a club as important and known worldwide as Inter, a club with a great coach and an impressive squad.”“But that said, the thoughts that I have in my mind are only about Barcelona. I feel very good both in the team and in the city and honestly I continue to see myself playing for the Blaugrana for many years.”Source: SempreInter"

That being said, Arthur has had his ups and downs at Barcelona. Early showings proved that the club made the right move in signing him. But injuries this past season has kept him out for a significant part of the season and rarely has he been allowed to play the full 90 minutes.

He never truly seemed to convince Ernesto Valverde. Things might be different under Quique Setien as he likes to play a more possession-based game and that suits Arthur very well.

Also, given how Mourinho quickly sours on players, Arthur might want to stay put or even prefer Inter over Spurs. One injury and he could be on his bad side. Just look at what happened with Ndombele.

The drawing power of the Premier League is certainly attractive. But it’s going to take a significant offer from Tottenham to pry him away from the Spanish giants.