Aston Villa interest in Juventus midfielder Arthur is becoming “more and more concrete”, although a permanent transfer is unlikely.
That’s according to Gazzetta dello Sport journalist Giovanni Albanese, who say the Villans are targeting the Brazilian despite his disappointing loan spell at Liverpool this season.
The midfielder spent the entirety of this campaign on loan at Liverpool from Juventus after arriving as a late addition in the summer window when Jurgen Klopp admitted he had made a mistake not signing a midfielder to bolster his squad.
The 26-year-old arrived on Merseyside injured but with hopes of battling back from that quickly and establishing himself in the Reds midfielder for the rest of the season.
That never happened, though, as a series of injury issues meant he managed just one 13 minute appearance for the senior team all season and just three for the U21s as he tried to get fit.
It means he won’t be staying and has been sent back to Juventus, but they are not keen on keeping him either and would prefer to get rid, particularly to get his wages off the books.
Aston Villa have been surprisingly thrown into the mix in that regard this week, with a report yesterday indicating they are thinking about a move for the Brazilian. Albanese confirms as much, stating that the interest is becoming more and more concrete.
“Arthur? Aston Villa are becoming more and more concrete,” he told Sport Italia’s Mercato show.
“It’s difficult to see him on a permanent basis because he still weighs heavily on the balance sheet.”
