According to Calciomercato (via The Sun), Arsenal are set to re-attempt signing Arthur Melo in the summer transfer window. The Gunners tried signing the Brazilian midfielder in January. However, the deal fell through as the clubs fail to reach an agreement. Arsenal have a really good chance of qualifying for the Champions League next season and will be needing some help to compete in the UCL.
Juventus signed Arthur for €72 million plus €10 million in variables from Barcelona. He was hugely reputed at Barcelona but many were left wondering about the Catalan club’s decision to sell the player on a swap deal. Barcelona signed Miralem Pjanic in exchange for Arthur but none of the players delivered up to the expectations after their move.
Arthur Melo also seems out of favour at Juventus with decreased game time. Massimiliano Allegri does not have Arthur in his plans as is willing to let go of the player. However, he surely has the skill and talent to play at a top club. All he needs is some regular game time to be up there again.
Why do The Gunners Want to Sign Arthur?
Arthur has excellent passing range as well as the ability to shake off defenders. He is a natural keeper of the ball and had a high pass completion rate at Barcelona. People compared him to Xavi and Iniesta, which is a massive compliment for any player. However, he likes to keep the ball and barely takes risks to create chances.
Therefore, the Barcelona management did not prefer Arthur late in the season. Xhaka and Partey have similar characteristics and creating chances is not their best attribute of them. Signing Arthur will help Arteta to set up his team in a 4-3-3 formation. The 25-year-old Brazilian is very comfortable in playing at the left-side of a midfield three.
Most elite teams in Europe use the 4-3-3 system and Arsenal will also be one of Europe’s elites again in the next season. Thomas Partey can play as a holding midfielder where he thrives the most. Currently, Odegaard plays as the number 10 and almost every play goes through the Norwegian. However, that won’t be the case if Arsenal set up in a 4-3-3 formation.
Can Arthur be Successful at Arsenal?
Arthur is a very good player to count on when building an attack from the back. Since he has very good technical ability, he is comfortable in receiving possession under pressure. Moreover, he scans the pitch well which allows him to tackle the pressure when he is near his goal. Arthur usually plays in the left half-space of the pitch and can move the ball towards either flank well.
Arthur is also very agile and very quick while turning away from the defenders. This gives him a bit of space to play a pass or he can even burst with pace to start an attack. However, he has one drawback – he doesn’t take enough risks and rarely plays vertical forward passes.
He helps his team to win possession higher up the pitch by staying around the area where the ball is. Moreover, he also likes to play in chipped through-balls behind the opposition line of defence. Arthur is also very good when he finds himself in a 1v1 situation. His great balance allows him to get away from defenders and also allows more touches on the ball. This could all be very useful for Arsenal, especially when added to his experience of playing with top clubs.
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Playing with Arsenal will also urge him to take those risks that he does not usually take. He might take some time to settle down in the new environment in England. However, once he gets settled in and works on his weaknesses, he could be the midfielder Arsenal needs right now. The Gunners need to have more control of the ball and the game when facing tough opponents and Arthur can help Arsenal in achieving just that.
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