Arsenal’s transfer for Juventus midfielder Arthur is still in limbo due to Juventus being reluctant to leave themselves void of options.
According to a report by Gianluca Di Marzio, Arsenal are insistent on securing the services of the Brazilian on loan for the rest of the season, as they are keen to upgrade their own midfield options as they push for a spot in the top four and the Champions League.
As it stands Arsenal’s main centre midfield options are down to Granit Xhaka, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Martin Odegaard, with Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny both on International duty during the African Cup of Nations. However, with Odegaard now out following a positive Covid-19 result Arsenal are one injury away from being unable to field two natural centre midfielders.
This is why they are so keen on Arthur. Not only to give them an extra tool in their squad in terms of fitness and rotation options, but also to improve the technical class of the current midfield.
Arthur is an extremely gifted footballer when it comes to playing with the ball at his feet. He is very adept at picking the right pass and dictating the tempo of the game, something no one in The Gunners current midfield can boast to be able to do.
Juventus are also after reducing their wage bill and considering Arsenal are likely to be able to afford the full extent of his wages, the move makes sense from a financial standpoint. Furthermore, he has only really been a squad player this season, with just seven Serie A games to his name.
While the Old Lady are hesitant to leave themselves without cover, they should be able to bring in someone to replace Arthur on less wages. Renato Sanches, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Bruno Guimaraes are all being considered as this option according to Di Marzio.
Arthur joined Juventus from Barcelona in 2020 as part of a cash plus player deal that saw Miralem Pjanic go the other way. He has made 44 appearances for Juventus, scoring once.