Arthur Melo

Arthur Melo (born 12 August 1996) is a Brazilian footballer known for his work as a central midfielder. He emerged at Grêmio in Porto Alegre before moving to major European clubs and representing Brazil at senior international level as well.

Born in Goiânia, Goiás, Arthur joined Grêmio’s youth system after playing for Goiás. He made his first-team debut in 2015, and his composed passing and close control soon made him a regular in midfield for Porto Alegre’s senior side there.

In 2017, Grêmio won the Copa Libertadores, South America’s leading club competition, with Arthur featuring in the campaign. The title sent Grêmio to the FIFA Club World Cup, where Real Madrid beat the Brazilians 1–0 in the final that final.

Grêmio also defeated Independiente in the 2018 Recopa Sudamericana, adding another continental honour. Barcelona had already agreed to sign Arthur in March 2018, and he officially joined the Spanish club that July. He signed a six-year contract at Barcelona then.

At Barcelona, Arthur played regularly alongside players including Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets. He won La Liga in 2018–19, as Barcelona finished eight points ahead of Atlético Madrid. He also collected the 2018 Supercopa de España against Sevilla in Tangier.

In June 2020, Barcelona and Juventus announced an agreement involving Arthur and Miralem Pjanić. Arthur moved to Turin for the 2020–21 season, while Pjanić went in the opposite direction. With Juventus, Arthur won Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana in 2020–21.

Arthur joined Liverpool on a season-long loan in September 2022, with an option to buy. His only competitive first-team appearance for Liverpool came as a substitute in a UEFA Champions League defeat to Napoli. Injuries limited his involvement in England.

In July 2023, he joined Fiorentina on loan from Juventus. The move returned him to Serie A, where he had previously played for Juventus. Fiorentina reached the 2024 UEFA Europa Conference League final, losing 1–0 to Olympiacos after extra time.

At international level, Arthur represented Brazil at youth level. He was part of Brazil’s under-17 squad at the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup and the 2013 South American Under-17 Championship. Brazil won the latter tournament in Argentina that same year.

He made his senior Brazil debut in September 2018, in a friendly against the United States in New Jersey. Arthur was then selected for Brazil’s victorious 2019 Copa América squad, which beat Peru 3–1 in the final at the Maracanã.