Injuries, private party, misunderstandings: what went wrong for new Liverpool man Arthur at Juventus

Juventus midfielder Arthur is set to join Liverpool on loan, and Lorenzo Bettoni explains what went wrong for the Brazilian midfielder in Turin.

The ex-Barcelona star is already on his way to England (VIDEO), where he will undergo his medical today. He was no longer part of Max Allegri’s plans and hadn’t joined the team for the pre-season, also due to a foot injury.

Arthur joined Juventus from Barcelona in a swap deal with Miralem Pjanic in 2020. The official transfer fee was €76m so the Old Lady has not been able to sell the Brazilian on a permanent deal. His €8m-a-year salary (according to Gazzetta) was also an issue for other clubs who had shown interest in the Brazilian throughout the summer, including Gennaro Gattuso’s Valencia.

But what went wrong for Arthur at Juventus?

First of all, the Bianconeri signed the Brazilian when Maurizio Sarri was in charge in 2020. The Serie A giants shook hands with Barcelona during the lockdown, but Sarri was sacked in August following a Champions League elimination at the hands of Lyon.

When Arthur arrived, Andrea Pirlo was sitting in the Juventus dugout.

“He was signed with a different coach. With Sarri, he would have played like Jorginho, but Allegri wants two central midfielders who are physically strong,” Arthur’s agent Federico Pastorello said in May.

“They respect each other, but these are technical choices which I don’t want to discuss. However, it’s in nobody’s interest to continue like this. Arthur is too important to be left on the sidelines and must also consider the national team.”

Arthur had been close to joining Arsenal on loan in January, but the Gunners eventually decided against signing the Brazilian midfielder due to the high costs of the operation.

Juventus have been lacking quality in midfield over the last few years, and Arthur was arguably one of the most gifted players in Turin. However, he’s never been a regular starter also due to the many injuries.

He had been dealing with a post-traumatic injury of the soft tissue between the tibia and fibula in his right leg, which first appeared in February. Despite months of conservative treatment, the calcification didn’t go as hoped, so he had to undergo surgery in July 2021.

He didn’t miss many games due to physical issues (23) in Turin, but he’s never played regularly, especially in the Max Allegri era.

In April 2021, he was fined and frozen out of the team for one game by Juventus for attending a private party at Weston McKennie’s home along with Paulo Dybala.

Police had to intervene after a call from McKennie’s neighbours because, at that time, gathering and private events were forbidden due to COVID and a nationwide curfew was in place from 10 pm to 5 am. Police arrived at McKennie’s home at 11.30 pm.

Today a new chapter of Arthur’s life and career begins after his spell at Juventus didn’t go as the player and the club expected.