Juventus are reportedly eyeing a swoop for Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli and could offer Arthur Melo as part of a potential deal.
According to Italian outlet Calciomercato, Italian giants Juventus are interested in landing Arsenal attacker Gabriel Martinelli to strengthen their frontline this summer. They are willing to offer midfield outcast Arthur Melo as part of a deal to sign the 20-year-old Brazilian wonderkid.
Arsenal failed in an attempt to land Arthur from Juventus in January. The Gunners are understood to have attempted to engineer an 18-month loan deal with an option to buy for around €40 million. But the club subsequently decided not to go ahead with the transfer. However, they are still interested in the 25-year-old Brazilian, with Mikel Arteta believed to be a huge admirer of the ex-Barcelona man, due to his technical prowess.
Arsenal are prepared to relaunch their pursuit of Arthur this summer, as suggested by some reports. But the Bianconeri’s valuation and the player’s underperformance since joining the Turin outfit in a much-ridiculed swap deal with Barcelona — which saw Miralem Pjanic go the other way — is preventing the deal from moving through, with a straight cash deal no longer expected to be an option.
Recent reports claim that Juventus are devising more inventive ways to initiate a move since the Emirates is understood to be the only likely destination for Arthur. The Old Lady have since come up with potential swap bids for their top-target Gabriel Magalhaes or Thomas Partey, in exchange for Arthur.
But there is another Arsenal player on their radar, with Calciomercato reporting that Juventus are also intrigued by the idea of Brazilian sensation Gabriel Martinelli. After struggling to impose himself in Arsenal’s starting XI at the start of his career in North London, Martinelli has managed to turn the tables around for good and has become one of the prominent characters in this current young Arsenal squad.
Already a fan favourite in north London, he has emerged as one of the Premier League’s most exciting talents, having made an impressive 36 competitive appearances for the Gunners this season, directly contributing to 13 goals despite missing a chunk of games due to injury at the start of the season.
Needless to say, he would represent another step in the right direction for the Bianconeri, who have recently seen a shift in transfer recruitment, moving on from seasoned players to signing much younger and hungrier prospects with a decent sell-on value.
Tactically, Martinelli’s off-the-ball movements, energy-sapping blindside runs, and finishing make him an ideal target if the Turin giants decide not to sign Alvaro Morata permanently. That being said, the Brazilian international has become an integral part of Arteta’s long-term project and is proving his worth in gold.
The Gunners have also handed him the iconic Number 11 shirt and are planning to offer him a fresh contract on improved terms, with the current one not expiring until June 2024, with the club having an option to extend for a further year. So, it is hard to see Martinelli leaving Arsenal anytime soon, which would be another blow for Juventus, who are desperate to get Arthur off their wage bill.
Juventus are dreaming.