We’ve seen over the years that transfers can take a long time to happen, so it’s probably best to ignore daily updates if they often seem to contradict each other.
The possible deal which will see Barcelona and Juventus swap Arthur and Miralem Pjanic has been spoken about for a while, and now it sounds like it’s close to happening:
#Juventus, accordo sempre più vicino per lo scambio #Pjanic–#Arthur col #Barcellona https://t.co/hyR6UO2ppS
— Gianluca Di Marzio (@DiMarzio) June 23, 2020
The report states that today saw some positive progress in the deal, and it’s expected that both signatures will be confirmed before the deadline on June 30th.
There is more to this than just a straight swap, as they go on to say that Arthur is valued at €75m whereas Pjanic is only worth €60m, so Juventus will need to pay the difference – €10m will be up front and the other €5m will be add ons.
It does make sense when you consider that Arthur is much younger and should have longer at the highest level, but it will be interesting to see how much difference Pjanic makes.
Barcelona’s midfield is currently stacked with box-to-box types who sometimes struggle to control possession, but that shouldn’t be an issue with Pjanic and Frenkie de Jong playing in the same team.
Juventus also have a strong midfield so it’s not clear where Arthur will fit in – or if it will result in any other players moving on.
This story has changed a lot over recent weeks so it’s important not to get carried away until it’s confirmed, but it does look like it’s close.
