Getty Arthur is wanted by Juventus
Arthur’s future at Barcelona is increasingly uncertain as conflicting rumors continue to swirl regarding the Brazilian midfielder.
Juventus has agreed a fee of €80 million ($90m) with Barcelona for Arthur and is hoping to convince him his future lies in Italy, according to Lyall Thomas at Sky Sports.
Juventus are also willing to hand Arthur a substantial salary increase. The Turin giants are ready to offer €5m a year ($5.6m) if he agrees to leave Barcelona and head to Serie A, according to the report.
The only problem is that Arthur has so far been adamant he does not want to leave the club he joined in summer 2018 from Gremio and released a statement in April signalling his intent to stay.
“There are always speculations but honestly my idea is very clear, the only option that interests me is to continue in Barcelona.
“I am very safe and calm. I feel very good here and I also thank the club and the coaching staff for their trust. That is another reason to be totally clear that my only wish is to continue.”
Arthur has not changed his mind either and there is no deal in place yet even though Barcelona is looking to raise funds, according to Ben Hayward at the Evening Standard.
What Next for Arthur?
Juventus director Fabio Paratici spoke on Monday about a possible move for Arthur which could also see Miralem Pjanic end up at Barcelona. His comments to Sky Sport Italia suggested they are still waiting for all sides to agree on the deal.
“We have spoken with FC Barcelona, we are both playing important games and we are waiting. The deal doesn’t depend on the dates but on the players’ will and agreement between the parties.”
Arthur is currently preparing for Barcelona’s clash with Athletic on Tuesday night. The midfielder knows about the offer from Juventus but is focused on the game, according to Mundo Deportivo’s Gabriel Sans.
The 23-year-old’s season has been interrupted by injury but he could have a big role to play in the run-in. Frenkie de Jong is out injured which leaves a space available in midfield up for grabs ahead of Barca’s final eight games.
Manager Quique Setien has named Arthur in his starting XI for Tuesday’s match:
Barcelona Keen to Sell
Arthur may not want to leave the Camp Nou, but Barcelona are keen to sell players before the end of June. They need to raise €70m ($78m) by the end of the month and are hoping to offload Philippe Coutinho and Jean-Clair Todibo first.
An attractive offer for Arthur is likely to tempt Barcelona, who are open to selling a player they signed for €30m ($33m) less than two years ago, according to Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens at ESPN.
Barcelona’s decision to accept Juventus’ offer means Arthur is moving closer to the Camp Nou exit door, but the deal is still dependent on the midfielder agreeing to swap clubs.
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