Former Barcelona flop ‘excited’ for reunion ahead of La Liga faceoff | OneFootball

Arthur Melo has become a forgotten figure in world football following his high-profile exit from Barcelona in 2020.

The Brazilian was regarded as one of the most talented young players in world football when he joined Juventus for a fee of €80 million.

But a rapid downfall has since seen his market value deplete from €70 million to just €5 million. However, Arthur returned to La Liga in January to vindicate himself, as he joined Girona on a short-term loan deal.

Arthur Melo on playing against Barcelona

In the wake of his return to La Liga, Arthur Melo will face Barcelona again as we approach the Catalan derby against Girona on Sunday.

Heading into this high-stakes encounter, Arthur talked about the prospect of facing Barça again, notably admitting that he is still fond of the club.

“Barça are a team that I have a lot of affection for. I’m very excited to play against Barcelona again,” he said ahead of the game (h/t SPORT).

Arthur Melo is looking forward to playing against Barcelona (Photo by Judit Cartiel/Getty Images)

A product of the Gremio youth academy, Arthur Melo joined Barcelona in 2018, for a fee of around €31 million.

During his two years at the club, he featured in 72 competitive matches for the club, showcasing immense technical prowess that eventually convinced Juventus to pay a fortune.

Talking about his affection for Barcelona, the midfielder added, “As I’ve always said, it’s the team I watched when I was a kid and it was the club that gave me the opportunity to realise my dream of coming to play in Europe. I am very fond of them.”

Arthur has featured in five matches since joining Girona earlier in the year, offering technical quality in the middle of the park.

On Sunday, though, his role will be to neutralise the Barcelona midfielder packed with quality players, even though coach Hansi Flick is likely to ring in the changes.