Everyone at Barcelona knew the club had hit the jackpot with the signing of Arthur Melo when Lionel Messi said in an early season interview: ‘If I have to pick out one of the new signings it would be Arthur.’
It was a comment to leave listeners as drop-jawed as Nou Camp spectators when watching another free-kick sail past another visiting keeper. Messi very rarely publicly praised anyone. And he had not been prompted. He was not answering a question about what he thought of Arthur. He had simply been asked about the club’s new signings.
Messi likes players who are on his wavelength and Arthur has been tuned in to the great man’s frequency from day one.
Perhaps not since Xavi swept around the Barcelona midfield nudging the ball past opponents and into the path of Messi or the gallivanting Dani Alves had Barcelona had anyone quite like him in midfield.
The likeness was not lost on Messi who continued: ‘He is very confident and very secure. He has a similar style [to Xavi]. He plays it short and he doesn’t lose the ball.’ The former Gremio schemer had it made once the club’s alpha male had accepted him into the clan.
It may still be too early to call Arthur Xavi’s replacement but there is no getting away from the fact that he resembles the former Barcelona captain in the way he protects the ball.
He has already mastered the 180 degree turn that enables him to spin away from defenders carefully guarding possession as he removes the ball from their reach like a magician whipping a tablecloth off a table without touching the cutlery on it.
It was a tale of two Arthurs earlier in the season. Arturo Vidal’s Instagram account has him down as King Arthur and it seemed Brazilian kid Arthur would have his work cut out getting in the team ahead of the Chilean serial title winner.
But it wasn’t long before Vidal was being looked at as a loose cannon while young Arthur was in the team ahead of him.
It was revealed that Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde had rejected the signing of Arturo Vidal in 2016, choosing instead that the club sign Paulinho.
It was only when the Brazil captain came and left inside a year that Vidal was offered up to Valverde again and in the absence of alternatives he accepted the 31-year-old’s incorporation. So immediately it seemed Arthur Melo had an advantage.
Vidal’s attitude did not help him. He expected to be picked to start at Wembley against Tottenham in the Champions League and when he wasn’t he took to social media to show his frustration with an angry face emoji. Arthur was brilliant in that game.
Vidal was persuaded to delete the publication by team-mates but it was not long before his twitter trigger finger twitched again after warming up during one game against Valencia but was never brought on. He tweeted: ‘You don’t fight with a Judas because they end up hanging themselves’.
Again the message was deleted and speaking on an international break shortly after Vidal said: ‘When I have a problem I go directly to the coach and speak with him.’ He did however admit: ‘How am I going to be happy if I am not playing.’
The reason he was not playing was Arthur, who was also excellent in the Valencia game. Vidal has recovered his calm and his place in the scheme of things at Barcelona since then. He set up Messi for the equaliser at the weekend. But he still would be the fourth man in most Barcelona supporter’s three-man midfield of choice.
Ivan Rakitic remains vital, Sergio Busquets has to play in the middle and Arthur would get most fan’s vote of confidence alongside him.
He is also the reason why Ivan Rakitic has been linked to a move away in the summer. His agent Arturo Canales has ruled out an exit. But what is clear is that with Frenkie de Jong in-coming and Busquets still undroppable Barcelona would have only one place left in the side and two players who deserve to be in the team to compete for it.
It was Rakitic’s goal last week that made it 2-0 on the night for Barcelona against Sevilla and set up what was to become a 6-1 win and an aggregate victory of 6-3. And whose pass was it that sent Rakitic clear?
Arthur Melo’s of course. The gasp for the pass was almost as audible as the cheer for the goal. He has won over the Nou Camp, he has won over Messi, Arthur just has to start winning trophies now and he will be on the Xavi’s path – Xavi won 25.