Former Barcelona technical director Robert Fernandez says it would be a “mistake’ for Arthur to leave the club amid links to Juventus.
Fernandez was responsible for bringing Arthur to the club in 2018 as Barcelona signed the Brazilian midfielder from Gremio.
The 23-year-old has made 67 appearances for Barcelona so far, but Goal can confirm that Juventus are keen on signing Arthur, and would be willing to explore a swap deal with the Catalan club.
Arthur has insisted that he wants to stay with the club amid interest from the Serie A champions, despite being “flattered” by the prospect of an offer.
And Fernandez, who was also responsible for the signing of Philippe Coutinho from Liverpool, says it would be a mistake for the midfielder to leave.
“I don’t think Arthur is leaving. We are going through a particular moment where a lot of news is not checked well enough,” Fernandez told Goal .
“I sincerely think it would be a mistake if he is sold because he is a young player. When we signed him we paid a large amount due to his qualities, age and projection. We thought he was going to have big growth at Barca and now I think he deserves a better status.
“His first season was good but, after that, he hasn’t been driven towards favourable situations. In addition, he suffered some small injuries which probably made it harder to have continuity in the starting line-up but we are still speaking about a player with huge individual skill, with Barcelona DNA even if he didn’t grow in La Masia.
“He is a player who has everything to become an important player.”
Arthur made 44 appearances last campaign, helping Barcelona claim La Liga in his first season in Spain.
This season, though, Arthur has been limited to just 23 appearances, although he has added four goals to his tally after failing to score in his first season with Barca.
Fernandez says that the midfielder is in need of more continuity and more games if he is to find the comfort needed to be at his best.
Arthur Melo Barcelona
“He must find the coach able to bring out the football he has inside,” he said.
“He did great with Valverde in his first season, the coach found the ideal role for him next to Busquets but he hasn’t had continuity in this season. The first season is used to be the adaptation one and he did great. He played very well at a high level and we were all delighted with him.
“I can’t understand discussing a player who not long ago made you happy. I think when something was working and is now not at his best, it is important to keep the same perception and style.
“If he played well in the first season, why didn’t he reach that level in the second one? I’ve seen he doesn’t finish the games and this is a big mistake, it brings you to an uncomfortable situation. You can think about a player that he is not in a good physical rhythm but to increase it, you must make him suffer and to play 90 minutes.
“I hope he gets brought in more in the next season and he can become the important player he must be because he has an extraordinary quality and pure FCB DNA.”
When playing at a club like Barcelona, rumours will always be something you have to deal with as the club are often linked with big transfer moves.
And, with rumours surrounding Arthur continuing to swirl, Fernandez hopes that the midfielder looks to Ivan Rakitic as an example on how to deal with exit reports.
“I hope it doesn’t affect Arthur. The people around him should help him to remember the important things in life, as Rakitic did last season,” he said.
“Ivan is a player with a great personality and is used to playing in very difficult situations but nobody likes to read in the newspapers the club is thinking of selling you. It is not easy at all for a player in such a situation and such an experience.
“Players must be protected so it would be good if these things could be quickly denied because it is not good for them. It can only make the player angry and to lower his concentration and performances.”
Source:Â goal.com