Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has been dealing with really average midfielders this season which is why he’s been looking to make a move for Barcelona’s Arthur Melo for some time now.
Arthur has been with the Catalans since 2018 but this season he’s featured in only 16 La Liga matches for the club, scoring three and assisting three in the process. And since Barcelona are expected to bring in a number of new forwards this summer, there have been whispers of the club looking to sell him off.
But now Arthur Melo has made it clear that he has no intentions of moving out of Camp Nou despite all the rumours linking him to a summer exit.
“There’ll always be rumours, but I’m honestly really clear about the fact that the only option I’m interested in is staying at Barcelona,” he said, as reported by Sky Sports.
“I’m really sure and relaxed about it. I feel very much at home here and thank the club and the coaching staff for the faith they’ve placed in me. That’s yet another reason that makes me totally certain that all I want to do is stay here.
“The rumoured interest from big clubs is always flattering for anyone – and it’s a good sign – but my mind is totally focused on being here for many years to come.
“Barca is the club I’ve always wanted to be at, and I want to remain an Azulgrana for a long time to come; that comes above everything else.
“Every day I feel more at home here; in the team, around the club and in the city. I also love the people and the culture here and really feel the fans’ support.
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“I’m 100 per cent focused on working and want us to get back and playing whenever we can, because I’m raring to continue improving here and fighting for more silverware in a Blaugrana shirt.”
Is Arthur Melo a bad miss for Mikel Arteta?
Arthur Melo has real promise but he’s yet to become a regular at Barcelona having played in only 16 league matches this season and in 27 games the preceding campaign.
Over the past few weeks, Arsenal along with Juventus and Inter Milan have been heavily linked with the 23-year-old but it seems he has no intentions of heading out in the summer.
This will surely be a bad miss for Mikel Arteta as the likes of Guendouzi, Torreira and Granit Xhaka have been really underwhelming so far this season and the manager will undoubtedly have to bring in better midfielders if he wishes to take Arsenal back to the Champions League.
But we believe the chance of signing Arthur Melo is still not gone since Barcelona might look to cash in on him due to the ongoing financial crisis and it’s an open secret that the Spanish side are in need of money.
