Arthur Melo Hails Ambitious Project at Juventus

Arthur Melo has held his first press conference as a Juventus player since joining from Barcelona in a deal worth €72m, plus an extra €10m in variables.

The deal was a part exchange that involved Miralem Pjanic heading the other way, although both deals were classified as separate transfers in order to balance the books at Camp Nou.

Brazilian midfielder Arthur only spent two seasons with Barça having joined from Gremio, but speaking to the press, he insisted he is utterly convinced he made the right choice in moving to the Serie A winners given the project the club have in place.

“This is a very important day for me, I thank my family, the managers, Fabio Paratici, and everyone who have welcomed me,” Arthur stated. “I have the privilege to play with great players, playing with Ronaldo is almost the realisation of a dream. The project convinced me, it’s very ambitious.

While he admitted to not speaking in depth about where he will play with Andrea Pirlo yet the 24-year-old stated he looks forward to the challenge of playing in a more 'physical' league.

“My position? I haven’t spoken in detail with the coach. He has played football like few others, he moved and played in a unique way," he added. "I feel the privilege of playing for such a coach. We haven’t talked about the formation and position on the pitch yet.

"One of the main reasons for my move was the Champions League. The Juventus project is extremely ambitious. The Champions League is a priority, I will work with my teammates to achieve that goal and many others.

“Serie A, I believe, has more physical contact. It’s a great League, it will be a difficult season, but Juventus are a great team. There will be many battles, and we can’t wait to get started.”

Despite his Blaugrana departure being shrouded in controversy and financial (and footballing) desperation, Arthur made sure to thank his employers for his 72-game spell in Catalonia.

He concluded: “I can only thank Barcelona, they showed great affection for me. I was treated very well, as part of a very ambitious project. I thought it could be an impetus for my career."

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