Vermaelen thinks Arsenal-linked midfielder 'can go right to the top'; Edu's leading the race to sign him

By Shamanth Jayaram

CalcioMercato have revealed that Arsenal are leading the race to sign Juventus midfielder Arthur Melo in the January transfer window.

The Gunners will need reinforcements in the middle of the park. Ainsley Maitland-Niles looks like he’s on his way out, while Mohamed Elneny and Thomas Partey will miss a few games due to the African Cup Of Nations.

Edu is reportedly on the market to bring in some cover and his compatriot Arthur is on his wish list.

The Brazilian is surplus to requirement at Juventus and he’s looking for a way out. Arsenal are said to be interested and the Gunners’ ex-skipper, Thomas Vermaelen, seems to be a big fan of him.

Thomas Vermaelen: Arsenal-linked Arthur Melo can go right to the top

The Belgian, who left Arsenal for Barcelona in 2014, knows Arthur well thanks to their time together at the Camp Nou.

Here’s what Vermaelen said about the Brazilian a few months after he joined the Catalans.

“Arthur is a good player and of course, he needs more games to adapt to the club and style.

“But, his start has been incredible, he has all the battling skills and the technical ability to go right to the top,” he said in October 2018, as per Football Espana.

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Arsenal definitely need some cover in the middle of the park next month. Partey’s absence will be huge for the Gunners and with Maitland-Niles set to leave as well, all the pressure will be on Albert Sambi Lokonga’s young shoulders.

That’s not ideal at all for Mikel Arteta, who would love another quality midfielder available at his disposal. Arthur, still only 25, could well be an option.

The Brazilian has fallen out of favour under Max Allegri at Juventus. He has played under 400 minutes of football all season and it looks almost certain that he’ll leave Turin in next month’s transfer window.

Edu’s reportedly leading the race to sign Arthur and the Gunners technical director’s knowledge of Brazilian’s players is better than most others. If he believes that the Juventus man is a good fit at the Emirates, Arsenal fans should trust him.