After Barcelona’s dynamic midfielder Andres Iniesta quit from the club, it was expected that the club would bring in another midfielder to fill his boots. Well, that replacement came in Arthur Melo.
On 11 March 2018, FC Barcelona reached an agreement with Brazilian outfit Grêmio for the transfer of Arthur. The Spanish giants agreed to pay a €30 million fee plus €9 million on added fees.
On 9 July 2018, Arthur officially signed a six-year contract and was announced as a Barça player.
But many Barcelona fans do not know much about this new Brazilian midfielder. Here are 5 things you did not know about Arthur Melo.
Things To Know About FC Barcelona’s Arthur Melo
1. His full name is actually Arthur Henrique Ramos de Oliveira Melo. He started his football career in his hometown with club Goiás. In 2010 he moved to Gremio at the age of 14.
2. When he was at Gremio, he was coached by former Brazilian coach, Luiz Felipe Scolari. Scolari even promoted him from the youth team to the main team where he became a regular player.
3. Arthur Melo has represented the Brazilian national team at the under 17 and 20 levels. He has also been called up to the National team and was named in the standby list for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
4. In 2017, he won the Copa Libertadores. He was also named in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A Team of the year and named the best newcomer.
5. Arthur Melo’s playing style has been likened to that of Iniesta and Thiago Alcantara. Just like Iniesta, he is capable of those unexpected bursts and dribbles past defenders that shrug off the attentions of markers. He can also pick our deadly passes from midfield. Arthur Melo was described “as a player who makes the pass before the assist, or even the one before that”.
Arthur Melo’s signing could prove to be a great asset to the Catalan giants, who want to have a great season.
