Barcelona needs to keep Arthur Melo at Camp Nou in order to secure Neymar signing claims club legend, Rivaldo.
Many reports have claimed that Arthur’s days at Barcelona have come to an end ever since speculations of a swap deal with Juventus have hit the news. Barca legend Rivaldo, however, feels Neymar will be more inclined to re-sign if Arthur is kept around.
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Blaugrana have been heavily linked to a Neymar reunion and are pushing to sign the Brazilian in the upcoming transfer window. PSG are expected to be more inclined to part ways with the 28-year-old as they prioritize offering Kylian Mbappe a contract extension as Real Madrid are keeping a close eye on the world cup winner.
Barca president, Josep Maria Bartomeu, has stated that he is looking to secure the deal with the help of ‘player exchange’ that is likely to include many players.
Many speculate that among the leaving stars is Antoine Griezmann as he continues to struggle to adapt to the club’s ways along with PSG’s desire to sign more French internationals.
Arthur is also rumored to be on sale as the Catalans look to recover their finances. Rivaldo, however, believes that the midfielder’s close relation with Neymar might result in an upset if the former is sold this summer.
He says that Arthur’s future might not affect the Neymar transfer, but would certainly help the cause if a friend is still around.
"“Arthur has a good relationship with Neymar and selling the youngster could harm Barça’s chances of bringing Neymar back. Of course, a potential Arthur move won’t cancel a Neymar deal as he [Neymar] has many other friends at Barcelona. But I think it’s important to keep a solid base to the squad and having Arthur could help persuade Neymar to return to the club.” said RivaldoSource Betfair"
Arthur is yet to complete even two seasons at the club and at 23 years of age, has plenty of time to become the potential successor to Xavi as the two share a similar play style.
Should Barca keep Arthur in the Summer?