Tuchel may have just crushed Arsenal's hopes of signing £66m man who has 'massive untapped potential' - Our View

By Shamanth Jayaram

It is no secret at this point that Arsenal are very keen to sign Juventus midfielder Arthur Melo on loan before the transfer window shuts on Monday.

The Gunners are yet to win a game in 2022 and a lot of it is down to how light they have been in midfield this month. Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny were away at AFCON, Granit Xhaka missed two games because of suspension and Ainsley Maitland-Niles was sent out on loan to AS Roma.

That left Mikel Arteta with just one natural central midfielder in Albert Sambi Lokonga. That cost the Gunners in the games they played this month, which is why they are desperate for a new man in the middle of their park.

Arthur is reportedly Arteta’s top target, but that deal may not happen now because of something Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has just done.

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Thomas Tuchel may have just cost Arthur Melo his move to Arsenal

Juventus are reportedly ready to let Arthur leave on loan, but they have two conditions.

The first one is that the Gunners will have to sign him on an 18-month loan deal with an option to buy clause instead of a move that will expire at the end of this season. The second condition is that The Old Lady will only let him leave once they find a replacement.

Rumours claimed this week that Chelsea star Ruben Loftus-Cheek was being targeted by Juventus to replace Arthur. The Englishman is struggling for regular game time at Stamford Bridge, but according to The Athletic, Tuchel has made it clear to Juve that the midfielder will not leave the club this month.

That means Juventus do not have a replacement for Arthur, which could then mean that the Brazilian will not be allowed to join Arsenal before Monday’s deadline.

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TBR View:

Arthur would’ve been a great signing for Arsenal.

The Brazilian, hailed as a player who has ‘massive untapped potential‘ by Barcelona legend Xavi, is incredibly talented. He can play anywhere across central midfield and has the vision to hurt opposing defences even when he’s playing in a deeper position.

Juventus paid an eye-watering £66 million to sign him back in 2020. It is understandable why they want Arsenal to take him on a longer deal with an option/obligation to buy clause included in the contract.

Even if Arsenal agree to that, Tuchel blocking Loftus-Cheek’s move to Turin could well crush the Gunners’ hopes of signing Arthur, even though the Brazilian wants to move to the Emirates.

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