Barcelona and Juventus confirm Arthur, Pjanic swap deal
Barcelona midfielder Arthur Melo will join Juventus towards the end of the current season, with Miralem Pjanic relocating the opposite direction, both clubs announced on Monday.
Barcelona said that they had paid 60 million euros ($67.4m) plus a probable five million euros even more in bonuses for Bosnian playmaker Pjanic after previously confirming Juventus would pay 72 million euros as well as 10 million found in variables for Arthur.
Both deals have been through separately, allowing both clubs to improve their profit figures prior to the end of the financial year on June 30.
Pjanic's four-year contract carries a release clause of 400 million euros even though Juventus said Arthur's contract will work for five years, until June 2025.
Arthur and Pjanic will remain with their current clubs before end of the 2019/20 campaign, which will include the latter levels of the Champions Little league in August.
It raises the possibility that Arthur and Pjanic could yet encounter one another, and their potential clubs, in the Champions League final eight in Portugal, should both sides win their outstanding previous 16, second leg matches.
In a statement, Juventus stated that they had signed Arthur for "72 million euros payable in four years. The order value may rise by a maximum of 10 million euros on the fulfillment of particular conditions through the contractual term."
Arthur, a good Brazilian international, just joined Barca from Gremio in 2018 and was hailed as another star for the golf club, with many tipping him due to the long-term successor to Xavi Hernandez found in central midfield.
After an encouraging start, the 23-year-old has been one of several players to stagnate this year but the primary motivation for his sale is regarded as financial.
Arthur's departure puts even more scrutiny on Barcelona's plank and president Josep Maria Bartomeu. They possess overseen several haphazard movements in the transfer industry and also have been accused of failing woefully to implement any clear good sense of path for the club.
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Barcelona have been hit hard by the three-month suspension as a result of coronavirus pandemic plus they needed to generate around 70 million euros to fulfill their funds for the current season.
By advertising Arthur, the board can register the profits from the transfer immediately before spreading the payments for Pjanic over the space of the 30-year-old's contract.
Pjanic joined Juventus from Roma on 2016. He was raised in Luxembourg and primarily made his brand in French soccer with Metz and then Lyon.
Last year, Barcelona carried out an identical transaction by exchanging goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen for Valencia's Neto, in discounts worthy of around 30 million euros each.
While Pjanic will definitely cost around 10 million euros less than the amount Juventus pay for Arthur, the Italians may well feel they have the better package given the Brazilian is seven years younger.
Arthur had been reluctant to leave the Camp Nou and even released a statement in April, insisting his "thought was sharp" and that he wished to play in Barcelona "for quite some time".
But he was persuaded to change his brain after being given small game period under Quique Setien while Juve mentor Maurizio Sarri had reportedly made it crystal clear he would be considered a key amount in his aspect in Turin.
Setien said in a good press conference on Monday the playmaker had promised to give his all for all of those other season as Barcelona look to constitute a two-point gap on True Madrid at the top of the table.
"We expect the greatest commitment from him before last day he's here," Setien said.
"He's still a Barcelona participant before end of the growing season and has promised that he'll give everything to attain the goals we have set. He is a guy who will be committed before last day."
