Scout Report – Arthur Melo
Barcelona are reportedly pursuing a move for 21-year-old Gremio midfielder Arthur Melo. It is understood that the youngster caught the eye of the club’s technical director during Gremio’s 1-0 victory against Lanus last week. Arthur even made it to Brazil’s national team recently and is being touted as one of the young stars to watch out for in the upcoming World Cup next summer.
However, the player will not come cheap since he signed a new contract with the club recently, which ties him down until 2021. Moreover, he has been important for Gremio’s successes this term but the club could be tempted if Barcelona meet his release clause of around €50million. That said, let’s take a look at Arthur’s profile.
History
Born in 1996 in Goiania, Brazil, Arthur joined his hometown club Goias at the age of 12 and spent a considerable amount of time with them. His displays attracted attention from Gremio and the youngster joined the club shortly after. Soon enough, he made his debut for the first-team and there has been no looking back for the midfielder ever since. It was only earlier this year that Arthur became a regular for the first-team and his scintillating displays have only improved ever since.
As far as his international career is concerned, Arthur has played for Brazil’s U17 and U20 sides but he received his first call-up to the senior team in September, where he played for the country against Chile in a World Cup qualifying match.
Playing Style
Often compared to Barcelona legend Andres Iniesta, Arthur’s passing ability and creative vision has got him to where he is today. As far as goal-scoring and trickery are concerned, the 21-year-old may not catch your eye. But when it comes to spotting the right pass and execution of his deliveries, the Brazilian is truly top-notch.
He has these short bursts of pace now and then which helps him cut past most of the opposition and the player is quite effective even when it comes to counter-attacking. The player is weak in the air, however, but that is just a minor factor in his otherwise illustrious profile.
Arthur’s Future
Interest from Barcelona will definitely tempt the youngster to complete a switch to Camp Nou. The Catalan giants lack midfield power and Arthur can inject a sense of fresh dynamism and energy in the middle of the park for Barcelona. He can truly become a good player under Ernesto Valverde’s current system for the La Liga club and the move can also beckon greater things to come for Arthur.