It all started in 2001, when Mr. Aílton enrolled his two children in his cousin’s soccer school, the former player Niltinho. The brothers Paulo Henrique and Arthur had fun playing ball. In 2003, Arthur stood out in a match against Goias. In the same week, came the invitation to train at the emerald club. There, Arthur stayed for seven years. The rest is history. Now, Arthur Melo is one of the brightest young stars on a Brazilian International Team with other young stars like Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo. In this post, we will take a closer look at the young and exciting career of Arthur Melo. Let’s get started:
Arthur Melo: All You Need To Know
Who is Arthur Melo?
Arthur Henrique Ramos de Oliveira Melo, or just Arthur, is a Brazilian football player who currently plays for Juventus. Namely, the athlete was born on August 12, 1996, in Goiania. His life on the football pitch began at the age of four.
In 2001, when he was just four years old, Arthur was enrolled by his father in a football school. After a match in which he stood out against the team of Goias, Esmeraldino invited the athlete to be part of the club. And that’s how it all started.
Between 2008 and 2010, he continued at the club’s base in his home state. However, Gremio was interested in having the 14-year-old player. With that, Arthur started to defend Tricolor Gaucho.
Throughout the early part of his career, Arthur Melo stood out in all categories and competed for the Junior Brazilian National Team as well. His highlight was the 3rd place finish with Brazil in the South American Under-17 Championship. Finally, he was the gaucho champion in the Under-20, at the age of 18.
Arthur Melo’s rise in the pro football world
After standing out in Copinha, coach Felipao asked for Arthur Melo to be promoted to the professional level. In that sense, he debuted in February 2015 for the main team of Gremio for the Campeonato Gaucho.
Over time, he stood out in the midfield of the gaucho team and attracted the attention of clubs abroad. In this sense, he managed to emerge unscathed from some polls in the football market.
With the tricolor shirt, the midfielder played 70 games and scored six goals. In addition, he contributed four more assists.
Which are some big victories of Arthur Melo’s junior career?
Namely, Arthur won the Copa do Brasil, in 2016, the Libertadores, in 2017, and the Recopa and the Campeonato Gaucho, both in 2018. With all these titles, many rumors surrounded the athlete and his departure from the transfer market was inevitable.
How did Arthur Melo start his football career?
Arthur Melo excelled at football from his childhood and even managed to play in categories above his actual age. In the midst of a U-15 championship, when he was 13 years old, Arthur caught the attention of the gaucho tricolor, Arthur Melo’s father Aílton only asked them to wait for the school year to finish, so he could go to the Rio Grande do Sul.
When did Arthur Melo start his career with Gremio?
Arthur Melo arrived at Gremio in December 2010, aged 14. In 2012, he was named the best player in the Copa Carpina Sub-16, as well as being champion. In January 2013, he started for the Gremio team that finished third in the Copa Santiago de Futebol Juvenil. In March 2013, he was summoned along with Ze Augusto, by Alexandre Gallo, for the final period of preparation for the dispute of the South American Under-17 Championship, which would be played in Argentina in April.
In April, he played the South American Under-17 with the Brazilian National Team, taking the field three times under the command of coach Alexandre Gallo. The 3rd place qualified Brazil for the World Cup in October, in the United Arab Emirates. However, Arthur was not selected for that team. In 2014, at age 18, he was State Under-20 Champion alongside Pedro Rocha, Everton and company. The team led by coach Raul Maia Cabral beat Sao Jose 3-0 at CT Presidente Helio Dourado. In 2015, he played in the Copa Sao Paulo de Futebol Júnior, where he reached the quarter-finals, before being promoted by coach Luiz Felipe Scolari.
Professional debut
Two weeks later, he debuted for the Gremio professional, at the Cristo Rei Stadium, in Sao Leopoldo. In the defeat to Aimore by Gauchao, Arthur Melo played with jersey number 5. It was the only first-team match of the year. At the end of the 2016 season, Arthur got his second chance at the top team. As Gremio had just won the 2016 Copa do Brasil title, a reserve team played in the 1-0 defeat to Botafogo. It was the 38th round of the Campeonato Brasileiro, and it was the first time the midfielder played in the Arena.
Rise to popularity
The next year, the name Arthur Melo became known to the American and World press. As a reserve, he became one of Gremio’s main players. With Arthur, the tricolor conquered America for the third time. The midfielder was still considered the best player in the final, even though he left six minutes into the second half, having suffered a grade 3 sprain in his left ankle. With the injury, he was ruled out of the 2017 Club World Cup in the United Arab Emirates. There were 54 days of inactivity, returning to racing only in January of the following season.
Interest from Barcelona
In early 2018, the midfielder was praised by coach Luiz Felipe Scolari in an interview with the newspaper Catalão Sport, who spoke about Barcelona’s interest: “I think it’s normal. Arthur has Iniesta’s style, which is the greatest I’ve seen play alongside Paul Scholes. They are those players who don’t miss a pass because, instead of looking for miraculous plays, they play easily and simply. Arthur is in this context.”
After two months of the continental title, he was once again listed by Renato Portaluppi, this time for the fifth round of Gauchao, the first team’s debut of the season. However, he was not even on the bench. He was entered in the Recopa Sudamericana, he was out of the first game of the final in Argentina and the second, but he was with the group when the title cup was lifted in the Arena, after a 0-0 draw and a penalty victory by 5 to 4. While he did not take the field, there were numerous speculations about the athlete’s future, but president Romildo Bolzan guaranteed in February that he would stay until the end of 2018: “The construction of every business, at this moment, is at a standstill, on hold, with the window closed. Arthur will stay with us for another year, if the deal happens, guaranteed. It is an available situation for Grêmio and it serves all parties. I think it’s more or less adjusted.”
It became the 11th sale of midfielders by the Tricolor in the 21st century, joining the likes of Lucas, Fernando and Wallace.
On March 12, 2018, Gremio published the news of the conclusion of the deal with Barcelona. However, only with the trip to the Catalan club after the end of the year. On July 6, Gremio and Barcelona reached an agreement, anticipating the steering wheel’s departure to Europe later that month.
As soon as he arrived at the Catalan club, Arthur, now wearing the number 8 shirt, received praise from Lionel Messi, the Argentine had been asked who would have been the main reinforcement for the 2018/19 season:
“All that came are good, but if I have to choose one, I’ll go with Arthur. He surprised me; I didn’t know much about him, honestly. Avoiding further comparisons, he has a style of play very similar to Xavi, always wanting the ball, playing short, and not losing possession. If you play for him, you know you won’t lose. Very reliable and secure.”
The former Grêmio player, now led by coach Ernesto Valverde, was looking for his spot and started on the bench for the coach.
When did Arthur Melo join the Selecao?
On the 114th anniversary of Gremio, on September 15, 2017, the gift was won by Arthur, summoned for the first time by coach Tite for the last two matches of the World Cup Qualifiers, against Bolivia and Chile. However, he did not play for the Selecao then. The debut took place in a friendly against the United States, on September 7, 2018. He came in for Fred in the 2-0 win.
Arthur Melo in the transfer market
With the good numbers and titles, Arthur was transferred to Barcelona, who paid 31 million euros to have the athlete in the 2018/19 transfer market. In this way, the expectation was that he would be a replacement for the legendary Andres Iniesta, who had left the Catalan club after a glorious career.
Arthur Melo at Barcelona
During his time at Barcelona, Arthur Melo played many games, stood out and spent a short time in Spain. In total, there were 72 games, with four goals and six assists. Furthermore, he won the Supercopa de Espana in 2018 and LaLiga in 2018-19.
After standing out in Spain, more rumors emerged in the transfer market and the Brazilian left the Catalan club two seasons after joining. In this sense, Barcelona made a good profit on the sale of the athlete.
Arthur Melo at Juventus
In the 2020-21 transfer market, the Italian giants from Turin, Juventus purchased Arthur Melo from Barcelona. The Italian club, nicknamed the “Old Lady” had to pay a hefty 76 million Euros to Barcelona for Arthur Melo.
However, the value was questioned by fans and the local press, as Arthur Melo was not able to produce the same level of football as Barcelona and Gremio. With that, his name was linked to other clubs in the transfer market, but nothing came to fruition.
Arthur Melo played 63 games with the Juventus shirt and scored just one goal. However, he was a decent playmaker and provided some key assists. With Juventus, Arthur Melo won the Italian Super Cup and the Coppa Italia.
With this period of performing below expectations, Arthur Melo’s market value depreciated. Arthur Melo arrived at Juventus worth 76 million euros and at the moment he has a value of 18 million euros. In addition, there are rumors that the athlete can leave the club in the transfer market.
Arthur Melo with the Brazilian National Team
In addition to club football, Arthur Melo was frequently called up to the Brazilian National Team and is expected to be with the Selecao during the Qatar World Cup in November 2022. In addition, he was present in the Brazilian team’s Copa America campaign in 2019. For the Brazilian National Team, he played 22 games and scored one goal.
In a disappointing season with the Juventus shirt, midfielder Arthur Melo could leave the Old Lady in the next transfer window. According to the athlete’s manager, Federico Pastorello, the Brazilian’s situation “is not interesting”.
In an interview with the newspaper “La Repubblica”, the agent of the former Gremio and Barcelona player revealed that Arthur almost got it right with Arsenal in January and mentioned that the midfielder should think about an opportunity in the Brazilian national team.
“In January he was close to Arsenal. He is too important a player to be sidelined and he must also think about the national team. With Sarri he would have played, but while Allegri respects him, he wants two physically structured midfielders. It is not in anyone’s interest to continue in this situation,” Pastorello said.
Signed by Juventus last season, Arthur has a contract with Bianconeri until June 2025 and has taken the field 63 times since arriving in Turin. In the current season, there were 31 matches, but the vast majority were in the second half of 2021/22.
Where is Arthur Melo expected to go from Juventus?
Down at Juventus, the future of Brazilian Arthur, who started at Gremio, could be in the Spanish football league in 2022.
Arthur Melo is 25 years old and was revealed by Gremio in 2015. There, the player gained great prominence, was Libertadores champion and left for European football, where he signed with Barcelona.
At the Catalan club, despite the good start, Arthur was losing his spot in the starting lineup and thus was transferred to Juventus, a club where he also failed to deliver as expected, and is now among the players who should leave the club in 2022.
Arthur’s destiny may be to play for Sevilla in 2022. The Spanish club has looked at the player’s football since Gremio’s days and can take advantage of Arthur’s moment to finally sign him.
To count on Arthur Melo, Sevilla believes in proposals above 25 million euros and will contact the Juventus management to discuss the deal. In case the exact amount is confirmed, a deal can be sealed in 2022. If Arthur Melo signs with Sevilla, it will be his second pro stint in Spain.