In one of the financial engineering operations with the most inflated prices in history, Barça transferred Arthur last June for 72 million euros and Juventus sold Miralem Pjanic for 60. Barça and Juventus had already rehearsed in January 2020 this barter that balances accounts. Barça had sent Alejandro Marqués to Turin for 8.2 million and had received Matheus Pereira (not to be confused with Matheus Fernandes) for another eight to be paid in two installments. Relations between Juventus and Barcelona were strengthened in this operation, which later led to the Arthur-Pjanic exchange for which Barça won twelve million.
But the mega-barter has not caught on, for now, on the lawn. Pjanic, who was expected as a footballer of immediate performance, has played for now. Infected by Covid-19, the Bosnian had to delay his arrival in Barcelona for more than two weeks. And despite an impeccable presentation in which he demonstrated his knowledge of the business, he has not taken off at the moment. He is a substitute for the De Jong-Busquets couple and has barely played 103 official minutes. He has only played as a starter in the Champions League against Ferencvaros. He played a correct game, from more to less, in which all the good he had done lost value with an unjustifiable loss that ended in the action of the expulsion of Piqué. Pjanic has skills, but he has to start showing it on the field. In Turin, be careful, it could be a starter. Either to give Busquets a rest or to fortify the team in a center in the field with Sergio and De Jong.
For Arthur, the change hasn't made him much better. His end in Barcelona was a disaster. He breached LaLiga protocol by taking two different cars to training when the post-confinement protocol required always using the same one; He went to Brazil after the end of LaLiga with the intention of not returning to prepare for the Champions League, when his transfer to Juventus had already been closed but he still belonged to Barça; and finally signed an unfortunate chapter when he tested positive for a breathalyzer. After this episode, he asked for forgiveness and went to Turin with an open file that was never known again. At Juventus, where a coach was supposed to come to the team, Pirlo, who may think similar to him, has started gray. It was last Sunday, against Verona, when he finally played a full game. Before, only a few moments against Roma (32 ') and Crotone (70'). And eleven minutes into the Champions League debut against Dynamo Kiev. After not having him in the previous call for his hazardous start to the season, Tite has called him to try to get him back in Brazil. Arthur celebrates his third season in Europe, time to know if he is ready to be a player of 72 million euros or one more. His motivation against Barça will be through the roof. But to demonstrate the football that carries that, Pirlo must first put him to play. Bets on Itañia give Uruguayan Rodrigo Bentancur an advantage.
