In a recent tweet, renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano offered an update on Arsenal and their pursuit of Juventus midfielder Arthur Melo. It has been mentioned that the Gunners are yet to launch a move to land the Brazilian midfield ace in this off-season.
Arsenal have not submitted any bid for Arthur Melo this summer, despite rumours weeks ago. No negotiations after January interest, as of now. ⚪️🔴 #AFC
Valencia manager Gattuso insists to sign Arthur on loan with Juventus to pay main part of his salary – talks still on. 🦇
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 28, 2022
Melo’s Lackluster Season In Italian Football
It was a tough campaign for Melo in the Serie A recently as he struggled to impress at the heart of Juve’s midfield. The South American sensation made 31 appearances for the North London club last season, picking up just one assist while failing to score a goal across all competitions.
The 25-year-old was not consistent with his midfield contributions based on his average of 1.3 tackles, 0.4 interceptions, 0.4 clearances and 0.5 dribbles per game in the Serie A. He was even accurate when distributing the ball from midfield, as evidenced by his pass success rate of 89.7% in the Italian top-flight (stats via whoscored).
Should Arsenal Boss Mikel Arteta Move In For Melo This Summer?
Melo is a tough-tackling midfield ace who can make some timely interceptions at the centre of the park when he is playing well on the field. He can even make a few intelligent runs with the ball from midfield.
However, things have not worked out for him at Juventus. Thus, it makes a lot of sense for the Brazilian talent to seek a move elsewhere in search of more playing time in the coming seasons.
Arsenal would be an ideal destination for him as Mikel Arteta needs to add some quality to his midfield department this summer. However, there are some concerns over whether he would be able to cope with the physical nature and high intensity of Premier League football.
Still, the Gunners can definitely benefit from recruiting someone of Melo’s experience if they are serious about securing a top-four spot in the English top tier next season. At 25, he will only get better when he hits his peak over the next few years. Hence, Mikel Arteta would be wise to move in for the Brazilian midfield enforcer during this summer transfer window.
