Grading the 7 signings Barcelona made in 2018/19 season

#2 Arthur Melo

Ever since Xavi departed Barcelona in 2015, fans of the club had cried out over the need for the replacement of the Barcelona legend.

For almost two decades, the World Cup winner had held it down in the middle of the park, acting as the fulcrum through which Barcelona's play was coordinated, with his precise passing and ball distribution proving integral to the success of tiki taka.

Not many expected much when Barcelona signed a relatively unknown Arthur Melo from Gremio in March of 2018, but his performances in his debut season have ensured that everyone knows who he is.

Having started the season on the fringes, Arthur got his chance when Barcelona found itself in a bit of a rot, with Valverde switching things up and giving the Brazilian international a shot at glory when he started him in the Champions League clash with Tottenham.

The 22-year-old absolutely dazzled with his performance, getting fans the world over to talk about him and proclaiming him as the heir to Xavi.

Those comments got some form of credibility when the man in question himself gave Arthur his seal of approval, with Xavi stating that he was a fan of the Goiania native.

From then on, there was no looking back for Arthur, as he cemented himself in the Barcelona first team, and formed a crucial part of the midfield alongside Sergio Busquets and Ivan Rakitic.

He earned widespread praise for his off-the-ball movement and visionary play, with his excellent ball control and close feint dribbling also drawing further comparisons to Xavi, while he also achieved the unbelievable ratio of a 98.6% pass accuracy, completing 71 of 72 passes against Lyon in the Champions League. .

In total, Arthur made 44 appearances in all competitions for Barcelona and while he might not have found the back of the net, his importance to the overall play cannot be underestimated, with his pre-assists being responsible for a number of Barcelona goals.

His performance levels dropped off somewhat during Barcelona's run-in at the end of the season, but that takes nothing away from the splendid debut campaign he had in Catalunya.

Rating - 4/5

About the author

Elvis is an avid football fan who has followed the sport dedicatedly for over 15 years.

His passion lies with the Super Eagles of Nigeria, while his all-time favorite player is Raul Gonzalez.

He watches all football matches, but has a bias for international football. He understands that the end justifies the means in football, and results are all that matters, but prefers the results being gotten in an aesthetic manner.

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Edited by Sudeshna Banerjee