Player Profile: Arthur

Arthur


By Oli Dickson Jefford

One area Arsenal have looked vulnerable this year is in the centre midfield position, where they have at times been overrun.

And it is no surprise that this is an area the club is looking to improve on this transfer window, with Arthur thought to be one option.

With rumours of a loan move until the end of the season circulating, here’s all you need to know about the Brazil international.

Background

Born in the Brazilian city of Goiania in August 1996, Arthur was scouted by Gremio while playing junior football for his hometown team aged 12 and was signed by the club shortly afterwards.

He proceeded to progress through the junior ranks and made a surprise senior debut in 2015, and started to feature more in the league the following year.

A string of impressive displays saw rumours of moves to Chelsea, Atletico Madrid and Barcelona circulate, but he stayed put for a couple of seasons.

Arthur won five trophies at Gremio, including the Copa Libertadores in 2017, though he departed in 2018 after being signed by Barcelona.

A move to the European giants seemed natural after early career comparisons to Andres Iniesta, though he was never quite able to hold down a first team spot at the Nou Camp.

After 72 appearances and a La Liga and Supercopa de Espana title, he moved to Juventus after two seasons in Spain.

The Brazilian won the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana during his time in Turin but once again couldn’t seal a first team spot, and has made just seven league appearances this year.

Not only has he won trophies at every club he’s played for, he was also part of the Brazil squad that won the Copa America in 2019.

Arthur has made 21 appearances for his nation, but none since 2020.

Juve


Key Attributes

Arthur has received a great deal of praise in his career for his versatility.

He usually plays as a central midfielder but can be employed as a holding midfielder, deep-lying playmaker, and box-to-box midfielder.

He has also been praised for his technical ability, agility and dribbling skills as well as his vision and playmaking abilities.

His ability to create chances for his teammates and passing has also been praised- though he was criticised by some at Barcelona for not passing forward enough.

Arthur is also a proven winner, having won trophies for club and country, meaning he would also bring a great deal of experience and winning mentality to the Emirates.


What’s next?

With limited playing time at Juventus this season, a loan move looks likely for Arthur for the rest of the season – and Arsenal is one potential destination.

It is easy to see the attraction considering he is incredibly reliable, consistent and has experience of winning trophies.

And the move now looks an even greater possibility with Juventus reportedly attempting to sign fellow Brazilian Bruno Guimaraes, meaning they would be less dependent on Arthur during the remainder of the campaign.

It is by no means a done deal yet, but the Brazilian’s potential arrival at the Emirates is something Arsenal fans should be excited about.


Photo Credit: Getty Images


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