Barcelona's Arthur responds to exit rumours
The Brazilian midfielder says his priority is to triumph at Camp Nou despite talk that several major Italian clubs are keen to lure him away for the new season.
During the past few weeks, Arthur Melo has been at the centre of a number of rumours regarding his future. But the Brazilian midfielder has responded with a statement in which his insists that his idea is to remain at Barcelona for as long as he possibly can:
Arthur insists he is staying at Barcelona in statement
"There is always going to be speculation but the truth is my idea is very clear - the only option that interests me is continuing at Barcelona, I feel comfortable and calm where I am. I am very happy here and I am very grateful to the club and the coaching staff for the faith they have in me. That is another motive for me to be totally sure about my desire to stay at the club.
The supposed interest from other, big clubs is very flattering for any player and also a positive sign but in mind, I'm only thinking about playing here for many years to come.
Barça is the club where I have always wanted to be and I want to remain an azulgrana for a long time - above all other options. I feel more and more comfortable with each day that passes - with the team, at the club and in the city. I also love the people and the culture here and I really feel the support of the fans.
I'm 100% focused on the job I have to do and looking forward to getting back playing again as soon as posible because I really want to continue growing as a player here and battling for more trophies with Barca".
Athur linked to Serie A
In recent weeks, there has been talk about Arthur moving to Serie A although Inter Milan were quick to rule themselves out, Juventus remain interested according to the rumour mill. However, the Italian currently don't have the funds for such a costly operation unless they inlude one of their players as a makeweight. Perhaps the only viable soultion would be if they included Serbian midfielder Miralem Pjanic in a swap deal.