Juventus believe they can convince Arthur Melo to join
Arthur Melo has become Juventus’ new obsession.
Juventus want to restructure their midfield for next season and have identified Barcelona’s Arthur Melo as the player they want to spearhead it. However, the Brazilian has been adamant that he is not contemplating leaving Barcelona as he wants to consolidate himself with the Catalan side.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Juventus are not giving up as they believe they can come to an agreement with him. They apparently had conversations with his entourage over the weekend where he may be easing up on his prior stance.
Barcelona had allowed the Italian side to talk to Arthur but he quickly denied their advancement. While they are not in a hurry to sell him, they’d listen if the right offer came along.
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Initially, there were rumors that he might enter into the Miralem Pjanic deal but, again, it was thrown out the window after Arthur’s insistence that he was not going to entertain any exit scenarios.
Should Juventus eventually get him to change his mind, it will most likely be in a deal that would see both Pjanic and right-back, Mattia De Sciglio, head the other way.
At just 23, it makes sense why the Serie A champions would be interested in him.
Neither Aaron Ramsey or Adrien Rabiot have lived up to expectations and manager Maurizio Sarri does not seem to be entirely convinced with Pjanic.
As for Pjanic, he’s also let it be known that the only way he would leave Juventus is for a move to Barcelona. At 30, it’s probably his last chance at joining another elite team in Europe and he must believe that it won’t take him long to adapt to their playing style.
Juventus are not the only Italian outfit to be interested in the Brazilian. Rivals, Inter Milan, were also interested in him and it was this interest that led Arthur to come out and reiterate his desire to stay.
It may be that their insistence might be wearing him down and it may come down to how he is used the rest of the season on whether Arthur decides to leave.
He arrived from Gremio back in the 2018-19 season and after impressing early on not only with his passing but calmness under pressure, he faltered a bit and has suffered a few injuries that have kept him from showing his full potential.
Manager Quique Setien will also have a say in this and given that Barcelona need to rejuvenate their midfield as well, he might see Arthur as integral to that.
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As it stands right now, Arthur is unlikely to leave Barcelona. Of course, all that could change if Juventus manage to sweeten the pot even more.