Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has reportedly identified Juventus midfielder Arthur Melo as his preferred option to strengthen in that area of the pitch this January.
The Brazil international has been one of a number of names to emerge as a target for the Gunners this winter, alongside the likes of Bruno Guimaraes, Yves Bissouma and Georginio Wijnaldum.
However, Todo Fichajes claim that Arteta has informed the Arsenal board that it’s Arthur he wants to bring in this January above all other options.
This might disappoint some Arsenal fans, as Arthur really hasn’t done much to impress in recent times, with Massimiliano Allegri said to be happy to let him leave Juventus.
And prior to his spell at Juve, Arthur was a flop at Barcelona as well, so it’s unclear why Arteta rates him so highly.
There’s every chance the 25-year-old could turn his career around under the right manager, and he might also be better suited to playing for someone like Arsenal right now, where expectations aren’t as high as at the likes of Barca and Juve.
Still, it’s not exactly ideal in terms of Arsenal trying to make progress and improve on underwhelming performers like Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey in midfield.
The way Arteta assesses players is somehow amateurish. If look at The way he assesses Saliba and Mavroponous as well as Maitland Niles, you can exactly see what I mean. Maybe it’s lack of managerial experience. Tyrece Reece is another hale end product who fell victim to this assessment.