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This week’s back-page headlines have been dominated by rumours regarding Barcelona midfielder Arthur Melo’s mind-boggling €80m transfer to Italian heavyweights Juventus.
Reports are circling that an agreement between the two clubs has taken place, however, the Brazilian is yet to signal a green light to take the deal forward.
Arthur’s potential departure further highlights the gaps in the Barcelona board’s decision-making, which has been under constant scrutiny ever since the appointment of Josep Bartomeu as the club’s president.
Barcelona's transfer policies under the scanner
It is no secret that Barcelona’s primary transfer target for next season is Inter Milan’s hot-shot forward Lautaro Martinez, but the Argentinian has been slapped with a price-tag in excess of €100m.
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The post-pandemic transfer market will not allow teams to spend exorbitantly, which is why Barcelona will have to raise funds if Martinez is to arrive next summer. Arthur’s apparent exit is already causing a ruckus among Barcelona fans, who are questioning the club’s transfer policy and future plans.
In the likely circumstances that the deal does break through, Barcelona will look towards replacing their star midfielder. In this section, we analyse five potential replacements for Arthur at the Camp Nou.
5. Tanguy Ndombele
Tottenham Hotspur’s record signing Tanguy Ndombele has not had the ideal first season in English football. At Lyon, he was touted to be one of the best box-to-box midfielders in the world. But subpar performances, inconsistent form, injuries, and rifts with manager Jose Mourinho have all lead to the stark decline of this French sensation.
However, Ndombele is just 23 and transitioning into the Premier League has not been easy for a lot of foreign players. The game in England is in complete contrast with that of France and technically-gifted players like Ndombele cannot be expected to immediately adapt to the physicality of the Premier League.
The managerial change would also have affected him, having started the campaign under Mauricio Pochettino and now having to accommodate to Jose Mourinho’s style of play.
The Portuguese manager, however, has been really harsh on Ndombele, repeatedly reprimanding his work ethic and fitness levels in press conferences. In January, he said, “He [Ndombele] is always injured. He is injured, he is not injured; he plays one match, the next week he is injured, he plays another match.”
In another interview following a draw at Burnley, he called him out for not performing at the highest level, saying that “a player with his potential, his responsibility should be giving us more than he is right now”.
French outlet TF1 has recently reported that Ndombele has apparently told Mourinho that he no longer wishes to work with him and that direct communication between the two has been cut entirely.
Before joining the North Londoners, The French international was heavily linked with a move to Barcelona and that rumour has resurfaced throughout this season. Ndombele’s woeful stint at Spurs so far could force the Spanish giants to put in a cheeky bid with the reported departure of Arthur to Juventus. Ndombele could be a like-for-like replacement for the Brazilian with his box-to-box qualities, dynamism, and ability to dominate central areas.
In 2018, it was reported that Barcelona’s Director of Football Eric Abidal was “in love” with Tanguy Ndombele and it would not be a huge surprise if Barcelona turn their attention to the Tottenham Hotspur outcast this summer.
4. Miralem Pjanic
Perhaps the most likely replacement for Arthur is Juventus’ star-man Miralem Pjanic. Italian paper La Republica has reported that a swap deal is on the cards as the Bosnian international has been on Barcelona’s radar for a long time.
Other reports have suggested that the Spanish champions are only demanding cash somewhere around the region of €80m. It is possible that a player-plus-cash offer is also involved in this ever-evolving transfer saga.
For now, a Pjanic-Arthur exchange looks more beneficial to Juventus than to Barcelona. Arthur is just 23 years of age and is already a regular starter in a star-studded Blaugrana side. The Brazilian has made 71 appearances in just two campaigns and it is almost puzzling as to why the club hierarchy would want to sell such a generational talent.
Arthur and Frenkie de Jong’s partnership in midfield could one for the ages as the two are often likened to the legendary duo of Andres Iniesta and Xavi.
Pjanic is no doubt a textbook Barcelona midfielder with his immaculate passing range, unparalleled vision and selfless style of play. He has the ability to dictate games, has one of world football’s best free-kick techniques and is also a natural leader of the pack. At 30, the former Roma midfielder is in his prime years, and his maturity and experience at the highest level could be a boon for Barcelona.
However, Pjanic is a still short-term solution in midfield and his levels will start dipping with age. It will be interesting to see how this transfer pans out, but it is seeming more and more probable that it will come into fruition before the start of next season.
3. Fabian Ruiz
It feels as if Barcelona have forever been linked to Napoli’s Fabian Ruiz. The 24-year-old Spaniard seems to tick all the boxes for the La Liga champs with his aggressive and progressive gameplay, tactical intelligence, and gifted technique.
Extremely versatile in midfield, Ruiz can be deployed as an attacking or a box-to-box midfielder as he possesses both attacking prowess and defensive acumen. Often found breaking the lines, carrying the ball forward with pace and looking at that inch-perfect pass to the attacker, the former Real Betis man has the ability to decide games on his own.
Barcelona have some incredible midfield options at their disposal currently, however, they are not known for their offensive capabilities. Ruiz, therefore, becomes a no-brainer for manager Quique Setien if they are seriously looking to replace Arthur with a high-profile signing at the Camp Nou.
He has also repeatedly stated that he fell in love with football thanks to Barcelona legend Xavi and wishes to emulate him. “He was a pillar for Barcelona and Spain for so many years and I dream of following in his footsteps,” he said in an interview in January last year.
All things considered, it looks like Fabian Ruiz and Barcelona could be a match made in heaven.
2. Kai Havertz
The hottest property in world football at the moment is undoubtedly Bayer Leverkusen’s showstopper Kai Havertz. The 21-year-old is making headlines each week with his incredible performances in the Bundesliga, which have attracted the attention of some of Europe’s top clubs including Real Madrid, Chelsea, Manchester United and Bayern Munich among more.
Barcelona are also in the race to land the German talisman and Arthur’s departure could see the Spaniards splash the cash in the transfer window. Havertz became the first under-21 player to score 35 goals in the Bundesliga last month and also has the most number of goal contributions this year in Europe’s top five leagues.
The attacking midfielder has 12 goals and 6 assists to his name in 29 league appearances, and is looking to spearhead Leverkusen to the Champions League next season. Havertz has already become a regular member of Joachim Low’s national side and is touted to become one of the best midfielders in the world in the coming years.
The youngster will not be the ideal replacement for Arthur but a player of his calibre and capacity could well and truly inject some much-needed spring to this Barcelona team. The club have been ever-dependent on captain Lionel Messi and the superstar signing of Antoine Griezmann has not gone to plan so far.
Havertz, therefore, could be an exciting proposition for Quique Setien, who could use Sergio Busquets and Frenkie de Jong as a double-pivot with Havertz in-behind the front-three.
Kai Havertz’s versatility, technical adeptness and incredible output that make him one of the most talked-about subjects in world football. But given that Barcelona have already prioritised Lautaro Martinez, who himself will cost them a bomb, it looks less likely that the Leverkusen man will make the switch to the Camp Nou this summer.
1. Riqui Puig
If you ask Barcelona fans, they would obviously be disappointed that one of their most influential players and future leaders in Arthur is leaving the club. However, as tempting a heavily-priced, high-profile replacement is, they would prefer if one of their own academy graduates can take the Brazilian’s place.
And Riqui Puig is perhaps the most suitable successor. The 20-year-old has already broken into the Barcelona senior team under Quique Setien and is looking at home even in the illustrious midfield which includes the likes of Sergio Busquets, Frenkie de Jong, Arturo Vidal and Ivan Rakitic.
The Blaugrana faithful have great expectations from their young Spaniard who is labelled as one of La Masia’s most exciting prospects in recent times. And on Tuesday against Athletic Bilbao, he represented just that.
Puig came on for a lacklustre Arthur just before the hour-mark and instantly caught the eyes of the spectator. His energy in pressing, fearlessness in tackling, and ability to dictate the tempo of the game gave Barcelona a new dynamic in the middle of the park.
As good as Arthur is in controlling and commanding the gameplay, we often see him taking reserved decisions and choosing safer options. Puig, on the other hand, is always on the front foot, either making an attempt to disrupt the opposition’s flow or to pick out a difficult pass himself. It is his spark and vigour which Barcelona have been significantly lacking in midfield.
Riqui Puig’s performance on Tuesday should be enough for Setien to give him a run of games in the remainder of the campaign and he could actually be the solution to Barcelona’s recent troubles.
