Arthur is keen on joining the Gunners, but Juventus hold all the keys at the moment.
Arsenal can smell the top as two points separate them from fourth place West Ham United. The Gunners have played two games less but have to deal with the chasing pack of Tottenham, Manchester United and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
To avert missing out on the top four, Arsenal is pulling out all the stops to ensure they beat West Ham and the chasing pack to a top-four place. The last time the Gunners featured in the UEFA Champions League was in the 2016/17 season, where they crashed out in the Round of 16. Mikel Arteta has made it a mission to see the team back in Europe’s elite football competition.
The January transfer window has allowed Mikel Arteta to bolster his squad to make a strong challenge during the rest of the season. Reports suggest that Arteta wants to bring Arthur Melo to Arsenal on loan.
Obstacles delaying the Arthur deal
Mikel Arteta is interested in bringing Arthur Melo to the Emirates on loan but face a few challenges. As the North London club struggle to finalise a deal with Juventus, two obstacles stand before Arteta.
Arsenal have only one senior central midfielder available for their Carabao Cup semi-final second leg tie against Liverpool on Thursday at the Emirates. It looks like a mountain to climb as Thomas Partey, and Mohamed Elneny are at the Africa Cup of Nations, with Granit Xhaka out to a two-match suspension after receiving his marching orders at Anfield last week.
The situation sees Arteta with Albert Sambi Lokonga as the only option available.
Arteta is desperate to bring in Arthur this January, with the Brazilian enjoying limited game time at Juventus. Arthur has made just four Serie A this season. Italian outlet TuttoMercatoWeb claims that the deal has stalled.
The first obstacle to cross is convincing Juventus to let him go without paying a loan fee. The report suggests that Arsenal is willing to pay Arthur's wages. Juventus also want to bring in a replacement before letting Arthur go. They have continued to reject Arsenal’s proposal.
If Arsenal were to pay a loan fee, it would make getting a replacement easier for the Old Lady.
Arthur is interested in joining Arsenal
Arthur Melo believed his move from Barcelona to Juventus would improve his chances of game time, but things have remained the same for him. The Brazilian had a torrid time at Barcelona, and a move to Juventus did not improve his situation.
Arthur is keen to join the Gunners, where he hopes to get regular game time. The absence of Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka may afford him his desires, but their return could confine him to the bench again.
Arsenal are also keen on signing 21-year-old Serbian striker Dusan Vlahovic. Fiorentina is interested in selling the player this month, but Vlahovic wants to wait till the end of the season. Arsenal is counting on its good relationship with Fiorentina but face an uphill task convincing the Serbian to leave in January. Arsenal wants to include Lucas Torreira in the deal.
By :
Steven D. Thompson
