Arthur Melo a dancer not a fighter, but he would suit Arsenal’s system if he joins on loan – Inside Europe
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Published 12/01/2022 at 18:07 GMT
Arsenal are interested in Juventus midfielder Arthur Melo, who could reportedly join the Gunners on loan for the remainder of the campaign. Eurosport Italy’s Carlo Filippo Vardelli explains why Arthur is out of favour under Massimiliano Allegri in Italy, and why the Brazilian could be suited to Mikel Arteta’s system.
Arthur Melo could on his way to Arsenal
Image credit: Eurosport
Arsenal are in talks with Juventus regarding a loan deal for Arthur Melo, according to widespread reports, but what sort of player would the Gunners be getting?
The 25-year-old midfielder is out of favour at Juve, and the former Barcelona player could bolster Arsenal’s squad for the remainder of the season after Ainsley Maitland-Niles joined Roma on loan.
Arthur had moved to Juve as part of a swap deal for Miralem Pjanic worth £66m in 2020, but has made just four starts so far this campaign.
That is down to a couple of reasons, and we got Eurosport Italy’s Carlo Filippo Vardelli to give us the lowdown on why Juve are looking to offload the Brazilian, and why Arthur may prefer Mikel Arteta's setup at Arsenal…
What sort of player will Arsenal be getting? What are his best attributes?
Arthur is a half-winger who focuses on possession and passes that start an attacking phase. He knows how to lower himself when receiving the ball, making him tough to intercept or tackle, and as a result he rarely loses possession. He has improved both in his long passing game and in his reading of the game without the ball, and he could certainly get excited by Arteta’s setup.
What is his attitude/temperament like?
Arthur is a useful player if you want to lambada, not to go to war. Or rather, he can go to war, but he is certainly not temperamental. In possession he is devastating in all situations, in the sense that with the ball at his feet he does what he wants.
In the phase of non-possession, he needs a system that helps him, as he is not particularly fast in the defensive transitions.
Juventus spent a lot of money less than two years ago - how has his career in Turin been?
Last year Arthur had to live through Andrea Pirlo's very first experience as a manager while sitting on the bench, with some very frustrating injuries hampering him while a team that hoped to play ambitious football could not express it to the fullest.
This year, however, he has to fight against Massimiliano Allegri's reactive and vertical football, which does not perfectly fit his style of short passes. The ideal coach for him would have been Maurizio Sarri, but the two did not meet.
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Arthur of Juventus
Image credit: Other Agency
He has barely played so far this season: why is Allegri not a fan of the player?
Because in front of the defence, Allegri wants a player capable of playing long and defending in front of the penalty area. A bit like Miralem Pjanic did. In this position, Arthur does quite the opposite.
Who is being selected ahead of him in his position and why?
Manuel Locatelli almost always plays, and he has the physicality and technical mastery that Allegri favours.
Is the loan move with a view to selling the player permanently or just an opportunity to get some first-team football and return at the end of the season?
It will more likely be a definitive sale.
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