Set for a fresh start under Vincenzo Italiano in Tuscany, Juventus midfielder Arthur feels already settled in – pointing to already-formed friendships with some teammates – as well as an important buy-in from his new manager as reasons why the 2023-24 campaign should be a successful on his return to Italy.
Arthur enthused after Italiano talks, shares hunger to win
- “I really like it here, already knew some of the players… it’s easier if you already know someone, I feel very comfortable and want to learn, to start the [Serie A] championship right away. This is a beautiful club, wonderful training centre, I’m sure I made the right choice – there’s a hunger to win and I have it too,” Arthur told Sport Mediaset in a recent interview
- Juventus midfielder endured a forgettable campaign in England with Premier League giants Liverpool, but despite interest from Brighton and other top-flight clubs, opted for a return to Italy. Fiorentina hold a €20m (£17.2m) option to buy him next summer after season-long loan deal
- “After I spoke to him I was 100% sure this was the right place – we talked a lot – he was very good with me and now I can learn a lot from him. I really wanted to come here, it was nice the club did everything to get me,” 22-cap Brazil international praises his new head coach Vincenzo Italiano
Fiorentina have done business aplenty so far this summer, moreso departures than acquisitions but completed their third transfer of the window with a €2m (£1.7m) loan fee sent Juventus’ way for Arthur’s services for this upcoming campaign.
Given they finished six points adrift of Massimiliano Allegri’s side – Juve’s 10-point deduction applied – and have replaced them in European competition after UEFA’s season-long suspension was announced, they’ll look to bridge the gap this term.
After all, last season they were minutes away from extra-time and potentially penalties in the UEFA Europa Conference League Final, before Lucas Paqueta’s probing pass teed up Jarrod Bowen who scooped home a 90th-minute winner.
Italy U21 fullback Fabiano Parisi and Argentina U20 midfielder Gino Infantino cost a combined €14m (£12m), while they’ve recouped more than €30m (£25.8m) from departures including centre-back Igor to Brighton and Aleksa Terzic to RB Salzburg.
That outgoing figure will continue rising too, as Manchester United appear determined to secure the signature of defensive midfielder Sofyan Amrabat.
His stock rose after Morocco’s World Cup success last winter – while they’ve already rejected a bid from an unnamed English club for winger Nico Gonzalez.
As an ambitious team with the likes of and compatriot Arthur Cabral operating in attack, adding Arthur – provided he stays free of injuries – only fortifies a midfield that needs depth and quality to consistently compete across multiple fronts.
Jonathan Ikone, who I wrote about in December 2021, started slow but produced a solid first full campaign after his Lille switch the previous year and needs to build on that. If you analyse their existing squad, there are a cluster in similar situations.
That’s why it’s no coincidence Arthur publicly spoke of his enthusiasm to be there, given how far his stock has fallen in recent seasons.
“The injury I had at Juventus and then Liverpool made things difficult for me, a huge blow. But this is football, it can happen. I learned a lot, had time to work and grow.
Now I look to the good things that lie ahead and want to do things well, have a good season, win and learn then we’ll see what happens.”
Serbian international striker Luka Jovic was tipped as the next big thing when Real Madrid were happy to part with €60m for him in the summer of 2019, and now he like a few others has a rebuild task on his hands among more modest surroundings.
Picture source: Getty Images, quotes via football-italia
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