Wolves have a player on their list of transfer targets who was praised by Lionel Messi when they were teammates.
The summer transfer window has started exceptionally for Wolves, who have been more active than anticipated early on.
Gary O’Neil has already secured Tommy Doyle and Rodrigo Gomes, with Pedro Lima and Jorgen Strand Larsen waiting in the wings.
Despite the rapid start in the market, Matt Hobbs’ isn’t ending his hunt for squad replenishments at Molineux, with another target now emerging.
Wolves make contact with Juventus midfielder Arthur Melo
According to journalist Nicolo Schira, Wolves and Newcastle United have made an enquiry for Arthur Melo.
The Juventus midfielder is likely to be on the move this summer, as he returned to Turin after a loan spell at Fiorentina.
The Serie A club declined the opportunity to sign the 27-year-old for €20m (£17m), leaving his future now up in the air ahead of 2024/25.
Now that Wolves’ interest has been reported, it will be interesting to see how the Old Gold approach the Brazilian, who will be eager to find a permanent new home.
Arthur Melo could be a strong signing for Gary O’Neil
It’s been a trialling few years for Arthur, who had a nightmare loan spell at Liverpool in 2022/23 as he looked to get his career back on track.
The former Barcelona ace was sent on loan to Anfield to secure game time however, due to an injury that required surgery, the midfielder failed to register a single Premier League appearance.
Fortunately, last term was better for the Juventus outsider, who secured 48 appearances for Fiorentina over 2023/24, putting him in a better position to scope out a new home this summer.
Once lauded as being an ‘exceptional’ talent by journalist Maxi Angelo, Arthur’s quality is undeniable, but his injury record and lack of progression at Juventus set his career back tremendously.
Now, Wolves could become the club to revive the 27-year-old, who has a lot to offer the right squad for him.
Over the past year, Arthur ranked in the top 4% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues for his average pass completion rate of 91.3%, via FBref, an area of his game that has been lauded in the past.
During his time at Barcelona, the Brazilian was compared to Xavi by none other than Lionel Messi, who admitted he was ‘surprised’ at the quality of the Wolves target, via Marca.
“He is very similar to Xavi, as he likes to have the ball, play short and not lose it, he is very solid and he surprised me.
“Arthur has the style we have here at Barcelona, he quickly understood training and Barcelona fans like players who are good with the ball at their feet and we are used to having possession.”
It’s not often that a player as high calibre as Arthur is available for such a slim price, giving Hobbs and O’Neil something to explore this summer.