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Brazilian midfielder Arthur Melo wishes to return to Barcelona if he ends up leaving Juventus this summer, a report from Italian outlet Calciomercato (via TheHardTackle) has claimed. Premier League giants Arsenal and French outfit AS Monaco are also reportedly interested in adding the 25-year-old to their ranks this summer.
Arthur Melo joined Juventus from Barcelona in September 2020, with Miralem Pjanic moving the other way in a separate deal. The Brazilian midfielder has since tried to make himself at home in Turin but failed miserably to do so. He started only 16 games for Juventus in the 2021-22 season, which serves as a testament to his rapidly falling stock in Italy.
As per the aforementioned report, Juventus are keen to offload the underperforming midfielder ahead of the 2022-23 campaign and are currently looking for suitors. Arsenal are one of the interested parties, but the player would reportedly prefer a move back to the Catalonian capital instead of a switch to the Emirates Stadium.
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With Pjanic’s future in the air, Barcelona could consider re-signing Arthur, especially if they cannot manage to sign Bernardo Silva from Manchester City. However, the Blaugrana can only think about signing the midfield ace after they offloaded Frenkie de Jong.
The operation could be time-consuming, and Juventus might not wait as long for the Catalans to come around. If that happens, Arsenal could end up capitalizing on the situation and get the versatile midfielder on their books.
Since joining the Old Lady in 2020, Arthur has only featured in 63 games across competitions, recording only one goal and an assist.
Arthur was turning out to be quite an asset for Barcelona
Before his ill-fated switch to Juventus, Arthur was gradually growing into an impressive midfielder at Camp Nou. He impressed fans with his command of the ball, passing range, and decision-making; he was often at the heart of the eye-catching attacks that the club orchestrated.
Between the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons, he took part in 72 matches for the Catalans, registering four goals and six assists.
Still only 25, Arthur has the qualities to become an important part of Barca’s future. However, with the likes of Gavi, Pedri, Franck Kessie, De Jong, and Sergio Busquets already in the ranks, he could have a hard time getting regular game time under Xavi.
