Sometimes it just doesn’t work out for a player, even one of the most sought after stars on the planet.
Whether a head coach doesn’t fancy you or whether you don’t fit into your club’s way of playing or formation, things can quickly turn a little sour, and loss of form and a period on the sidelines is the natural outcome.
So it has turned out for Juventus player Arthur Melo who has struggled to make an impact in Serie A, curiously at a time when the Old Lady has been in a sticky patch herself.
After impressing in two seasons at Barcelona, Arthur attracted a bid of €72-M from Juventus and he made the switch. But it just hasn’t happened for the Brazil international and his Serie A 2022 highlights have been few and far between.
One goal in 42 appearances, sometimes from the bench, is a modest return from over two seasons for a player valued so highly by the Selecao.
You would think Arthur would be perfect for the Italian league as a deep-lying or holding midfielder in the mode of Andre Pirlo. He can also play as a box-to-box midfielder and possesses a wide passing range, though he is very careful with the ball – a feature which attracted some criticism from former Barca teammate Luis Suarez.
Now, the Old Lady is trying to offload one of her biggest earners in the hope of freeing up funds to bring Roma attacking midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo to Turin, and there could be an opportunity opening up as Roma boss Jose Mourinho has said he’d like to work with Arthur.
The former Chelsea boss likes a defencive midfielder and there have been reports in the Italian press that a swap deal could be on the cards. But Arthur would probably need to take a cut on his current wage package of around £4.3-M a year.
I Bianconeri has another chance to move Arthur on if Premier League club Arsenal pursue their previous interest. He was heavily linked with a move to North London in the January transfer window but the deal didn’t materialise and Arthur’s agent, as well as his club, hopes Mikel Arteta will renew his interest.
Juventus are desperate to break the Milan cycle of Scudetto wins but it looks pretty certain that Arthur Melo is not part of head coach Max Allegri’s plans.
Another player on his way out of a top Italian club is Inter Milan defender Andrea Ranocchia, who, after a season of being unable to break into I Nerazzurri’s first team has transferred to top-flight new boys Monza. The 34-year-old defender, with 21 Azzurri caps, will be an important addition to the Monza squad, bringing leadership into the dressing room.
Injuries which stalled two stars’ campaigns
Here at SBOTOP we covered AC Milan’s thrilling charge to the 2022 Scudetto and it was all the more impressive as they played for some of the campaign without one of their most dangerous attacking players.
Wide-man Ante Rebic has been a star at the San Siro since his switch from Eintracht Frankfurt in 2019. But last season, he was plagued by injuries and was out of action for two crucial months between November and January after breaking down during a training session.
By February, Rebic was back to full fitness and he scored the equaliser in an away game to Salernitana, a trademark screamer from 25 yards which was his first goal in five months.
The Croatian winger will hope to play a full part in Milan’s 2022/23 campaign as they prepare to defend the Scudetto against the threat of Juventus and Inter Milan.
Last season was a tough one too for Juventus star Federico Chiesa, who was hoping to star in I Bianconeri’s campaign following his loan move from Fiorentina.
The switch has now been made permanent, but the Azzurri star was sidelined for the second half of the 2021/22 season having suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury during a match against Roma early in January.
His campaign ended early with a record of four goals in 18 appearances and Bianconeri fans are left wondering whether their team could have sustained a better challenge for the Scudetto had Chiesa remained fit. At 24, he is entering the prime of his career and he will hope to play a bigger role in 2022/23.
The latest Serie A 2022 betting odds have I Bianconeri and Inter Milan very close in the running, with AC Milan lagging a little behind. If Chiesa can stay fit and link up with striker Dusan Vlahovic, then there could be exciting times ahead in Turin.
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