There are several intriguing targets available to Crystal Palace at the moment, but just one has prompted comparisons to Xavi—and to the greatest player of all time.
Oliver Glasner is really happy with Dougie Freedman’s work thus far this summer, but he will need a lot more done by the middle of August.
Although Chadi Riad and Daichi Kamada have already made a great start at Crystal Palace, and Ryan Sessegnon is also expected to join, there are still a lot of players being linked to a new midfield player among the positions currently receiving attention. One of the club’s targets has also been compared to Xavi, which is a great indicator of what he would bring to the team.
Earlier this week, it was reported that Palace was interested in signing Arthur Melo from Juventus. Thiago Motta is reportedly not eager to use the Brazilian midfielder this summer. Arthur has recently returned from a respectable season at Fiorentina, where he played 48 times, but Lionel Messi had higher expectations for the player.
As quoted by Sport 45 in Spain, Messi admitted Arthur reminded him of Xavi and also had a Barcelona style of play.
“Arthur I didn’t know that much about but he seems similar to Xavi. He’s really safe and trustworthy. He has the La Masia style.
“Playing short passes, he quickly grasped the team dynamic and didn’t lose the ball.”
This is quite high regard coming from the man regarded as the best of all time. However, what could Arthur possibly offer Selhurst Park?
Key strengths of Arthur Melo amid Palace connections
Melo’s in-possession play is his primary strength as a midfielder, which may present a challenge for Glasner, who demands a lot of effort from his midfielders.
According to FBRef, Melo’s statistics over the past 365 days paint a similar picture.
Melo is neither very good defensively, nor is he very good at dribbling and carrying the ball, as this table illustrates.
Even though he is a fantastic passer, from the outside looking in, he lacks all the qualities Glasner will want from his team. Since Adam Wharton, Jefferson Lerma, Cheick Doucoure, and Will Hughes are already guaranteed starts, adding another midfielder who will be paid upwards of £87k per week is probably not the best option.
