Corinthians enquire about Arthur Melo, but high costs rule out a deal | OneFootball

Corinthians made an inquiry about 29-year-old defensive midfielder Arthur Melo, but the possibility of signing the player in the next transfer window is considered unlikely at the moment. The information about the initial interest was reported by journalist Samir Carvalho and later confirmed by Central do Timão.

According to Central do Timão's reporting, the club contacted the player’s representatives to understand his contractual situation and the conditions of a possible transfer. However, Corinthians did not open negotiations or move forward with an official offer.

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The main obstacle was financial. After learning the salary figures requested by the midfielder, the board concluded that the demand was far above the club’s financial reality and decided not to continue the talks.

Arthur returns to Juventus after playing for Grêmio on loan during the first part of the season. The midfielder’s contract with the Italian club runs until June 2027, but the player will not remain with the team from Rio Grande do Sul.

According to reports published in Rio Grande do Sul, Grêmio tried to keep Arthur in the squad and presented a renewal offer with the same salary. The player, however, was seeking a salary increase to more than R$ 2 million per month, a factor that made his stay in Porto Alegre unfeasible.

This scenario was also decisive in Corinthians backing off after the initial inquiry. Given the club’s financial situation, the figures presented by the player’s representatives were considered incompatible with the planning for the rest of the season.

Developed by Grêmio, Arthur built his career in European football, where he played for Barcelona, Juventus, Liverpool, and Fiorentina. The defensive midfielder has also earned call-ups to the Brazilian National Team and won major titles, such as the 2017 Copa Libertadores with the club from Rio Grande do Sul, La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup with Barcelona, as well as the Coppa Italia and the Italian Super Cup with Juventus.

This season, Arthur played 14 matches for Grêmio, ten in the Brazilian Championship and four in the Copa Sudamericana. The midfielder did not score any goals or provide any assists during that period.

Thus, despite Corinthians’ inquiry, the signing of the midfielder is not expected to progress in this transfer window, since the amounts involved were considered unfeasible by the black-and-white club.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.