Juventus has agreed to sell Miralem Pjanic to Barcelona for €60 million.
Arthur Melo was sent the other way for a fee of €72 million. What was earlier thought to be a simple exchange deal turns out to be different.
Arthur will be joining Maurizio Sarri’s squad with his wages tripled. He will fill into the midfield spots next to the likes of Paulo Dybala, Aaron Ramsey, Adrien Rabiot, Blaise Matuidi, Sami Khedira and Rodrigo Bentancur. Pjanic will be heading over to Barcelona to better suit Quique Setien’s coaching style.
People have struggled to wrap their heads behind this transfer since Arthur is much younger to Pjanic and has a huge resale value. Sarri also has a stacked midfield which does not necessarily need to be changed, although a couple of players are tipped to leave this summer.
Arthur will be more of a box-to-box presence who can hold onto possession in central areas and launch attacks. He is an energetic figure on the pitch and is still developing into his best. Pjanic on the other hand, will give more stability to the Barcelona midfield. His experience, passing ability and vision will be important in setting up Barca’s attack under Quique Setien.
Pjanic’s contract is due to run till the summer of 2024.
READ MORE: Juventus Players Salaries 2020 (Weekly Wages List)
