Juventus Football Club announced they have parted ways with midfielder Arthur Melo. His contract was terminated early by mutual agreement, bringing an end to a complicated and costly transfer saga.
The deal happened back in the summer of 2020. Juventus and FC Barcelona agreed on a significant exchange: Arthur moved from Barcelona to Juventus for €72 million, plus another €8 million in potential add-ons. At the same time, Miralem Pjanić, who was 30 at the time, went from Juventus to Barcelona for €60 million plus variables.
While the clubs presented this as a major swap between top midfielders, the main reason behind it was financial. Both clubs were able to record substantial profits on their books from the players they were selling. The fees for the incoming players were spread out over the length of their contracts, which temporarily improved their financial figures for Financial Fair Play rules.
Arthur joined Juventus with high hopes, having won the Copa Libertadores in 2017 with Grêmio and the La Liga title in 2018-19 with Barcelona. However, his style of play, which focused on keeping possession deep in midfield, didn’t quite fit with Juventus’ tactical approach. He struggled against the physical, high-pressing teams common in Serie A.
Arthur was originally signed when Maurizio Sarri was the coach. He also played under Andrea Pirlo and Massimiliano Allegri, but he never managed to secure a consistent place in either midfield. During his six years under contract with Juventus, Arthur only played in 63 competitive matches and scored one goal. His last game for the club was in the Coppa Italia final in May 2022.
When Arthur returned to Turin, he was considered no longer part of the club’s future plans. To minimize their losses and free up salary budget space, Juventus agreed to buy out the remainder of his contract early.
Juventus released a statement confirming that this mutual termination will result in a negative financial impact of about €6 million for the current fiscal year. This is due to writing off the remaining value of his contract sooner than planned.
Now 30 years old and a free agent, Arthur Melo is considering his next move. Turkish club Beşiktaş and several clubs in South America have shown interest.
