Arthur Melo (foto: Getty Images)
Arthur Melo has finally left Juventus after six disappointing years, with the Italian giants admitting his contract termination will result in another financial loss.
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One of the strangest transfer stories in recent Juventus history has finally come to an end. Six years after arriving from Barcelona in a deal that valued him at around €80 million, Arthur Melo has left Turin.
Juventus and the Brazilian midfielder have agreed to terminate his contract early, ending a relationship that never came close to fulfilling expectations.
Even his departure comes at a price.
Juventus confirmed that terminating the contract will have a negative economic impact of approximately €6m on the club's accounts.
Arthur is therefore leaving without a transfer fee after spending much of his Juventus career playing elsewhere on loan.
The infamous Barcelona-Juventus deal
Arthur arrived in Turin in 2020 as part of an unusual operation involving Miralem Pjanić.
Barcelona valued Arthur at approximately €80m, while Pjanić moved in the opposite direction in a deal worth around €60m plus bonuses.
The transfers attracted enormous attention because of their timing and accounting implications for both clubs.
From a sporting perspective, neither move worked particularly well.
Pjanić struggled to establish himself at Barcelona and eventually left the Catalan club. Arthur's Juventus story lasted much longer on paper, but his impact on the pitch was limited.
Only 61 appearances in six years
Arthur arrived in Italy with a reputation as a technically gifted midfielder who had previously been considered one of Brazil's most promising players.
Juventus never saw enough of that player.
Across six years connected to the club, Arthur made only 61 competitive appearances for the Bianconeri.
Instead, Juventus repeatedly attempted to find another destination for him.
Arthur spent periods on loan with Liverpool, Fiorentina, Girona and Gremio, but none of those spells resulted in a permanent transfer.
Juventus therefore continued carrying his contract while searching for a solution.
That solution has finally arrived through termination rather than a sale.
From €80m to €4m valuation
The decline in Arthur's market value illustrates how dramatically his career has changed.
When the Juventus deal was completed in 2020, the Brazilian was valued at approximately €80m as part of the operation with Barcelona.
Today, his estimated market value is around €4m.
At 30, Arthur now becomes a free agent and has an opportunity to choose his next club without a transfer fee.
For Juventus, meanwhile, his departure finally closes a chapter that produced little sporting return and considerable financial expense.
Six years, 61 Juventus appearances, several loans and another €6m financial hit later, the €80m Arthur Melo experiment is finally over.