According to Tuttosport, Arsenal have accepted the terms of Juventus for Arthur Melo and will soon move forward to the finishing touches of the deal. Allegri does not seem to be a fan of Arthur and hence Arsenal are interested in the Brazilian. Arteta wants to strengthen his midfield ash he currently only has Xhaka and Partey as proper defensive midfielders.
Arsenal lost their only chance to win silverware against Liverpool. The Merseyside club knocked the Gunners out in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup with a 2-0 victory in the second leg.
In spite of Arsenal’s good form recently, Arteta does not look happy with the current options he has. Therefore, Arsenal will have more work to do in the last week of the transfer window. Arsenal must have better players and better depth to start winning trophies. The Gunners look to take advantage of the situation at Juventus regarding Arthur.
Arthur joined Juventus from Barcelona with a huge fee of €72 million, plus €10 million in variables. The deal also included a player swap of Miralem Pjanic. However, both players have not been up to the mark at their respective clubs. Massimiliano Allegri does not favor Arthur and finds it sensible to let Arthur leave.
What can Arthur Melo provide Arsenal?
Arthur possesses great passing skills and a good ability to shrug defenders. He is excellent at keeping possession and had a very good pass completion percentage at Barcelona. People drew comparisons of him to Iniesta and Xavi which is a huge compliment to any player. However, he isn’t a player that takes such risks in order to create chances.
This is why the Barcelona bosses did not favor Arthur late as he did not take risks and played a lot safer. This type of play suits more to a defensive midfielder than a central midfielder. Arsenal can take advantage of this and play him as a defensive midfielder alongside Thomas Partey. Arthur can link the defense and attack while Partey will be doing the defensive work breaking plays as he usually does.
However, if Arsenal wants the best out of him then they should deploy him on the left of a three-man midfield. A 4-3-3 attacking lineup is something that fans would also love and is a formation that many top European clubs use. That way Arsenal will also have to use either Partey or Xhaka as their defensive midfielder which indirectly gives them depth in that position.
It will be a good deal if Juventus agree to an 18-month loan deal as Arsenal won’t be left with another failed signing if Arthur doesn’t turn up as expected. Moreover, Arthur Melo does have a track record of not living up to expectations. However, he might have more freedom which can let him express himself. Arthur’s success at Arsenal will be great for both his career and for Arsenal.
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