Why Barcelona should keep hold of Arthur Melo amidst interest
According to Tuttosport (h/t The Express), Inter Milan have made Barcelona midfielder Arthur Melo one of their top summer transfer targets.
Arthur, 23, came through the ranks of Gremio’s youth system in Brazil before joining Barcelona in the summer of 2018. He has established himself in the Catalan giants’ midfield and is one of their key members.
He has been impressive in the club’s set-up since taking over from Ivan Rakitic. The Brazilian’s impressive performance for both Gremio and Barcelona also earned him a call up to the national squad, with whom he won the Copa America title.
Meanwhile, Barcelona are on top of the La Liga table despite a dip in their form under Ernesto Valverde. They struggled earlier in the campaign but the arrival of Quique Setien has brought a change in their game.
However, most of the players have been inconsistent throughout the season. If not for star forward Lionel Messi, who has been brilliant over the years for the Catalans, they would have suffered a different fate. And the long-term injury to Luis Suarez has also not been good news for the club.
The manager should look to strengthen a few key areas, especially in the midfield. Frenkie de Jong was bought in last summer but the youngster hasn’t made a telling contribution yet. Ivan Rakitic has fallen out of favour and could be on the move this time after failing to impress in recent times (h/t Daily Mail).
Sergio Busquets, who had been the main man for the team in the middle of the park, is already 31 and they need to make some changes in the summer. They have limited options in midfield at the moment and therefore, they should keep hold of Arthur Melo.
The 23-year-old has been mostly consistent in all the 16 league games he has featured this term. He has shown great character of becoming a vital cog in their midfield in the future. And despite playing in a slightly deeper role, he has contributed with 3 goals and assists apiece.
The Brazil international has featured as a No.8 mostly and can also operate in a more advanced role. His versatile nature of play could be helpful for the club’s progress in the future. He has done better than the rest of the midfielders in the squad and should be kept hold of for the future.
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Verdict
With Busquets ageing and the uncertain future of Rakitic and Arturo Vidal (h/t Daily Mail), Barcelona boss Setien has got a lot of work to do in terms of bringing reinforcements to the midfield. And with Arthur in the squad, they need to get the best out of him to take control of their games.
Therefore, the Catalan giants must avoid any temptation to cash in on the 23-year-old and keep him at Camp Nou for as long as possible.
