Former Barcelona defensive midfielder Arthur Melo officially joins Santos as a free agent..

Santos announced on their official website on Saturday that former Barcelona Brazilian defensive midfielder Arthur Melo has joined the club as a free agent.

According to Santos' official statement, Arthur has signed on a short-term contract which will only run until December 31, 2026, with an option to extend for an additional year. He will wear the number 6 jersey.

About Arthur Melo

The 30-year-old Arthur Melo was born on April 20, 1996, in Goiânia, Brazil. He is 1.71 meters tall and plays as a defensive midfielder.

Arthur joined the Grêmio youth academy at the age of 14 and completed his Grêmio first-team debut in 2015.

Known for his exceptional passing accuracy, Arthur was compared to former teammate Thiago early in his career. 

During his time with Grêmio, he won the Campeonato Gaúcho twice, as well as the Copa do Brasil, Copa Libertadores, and Recopa Sudamericana once each.

In the summer of 2018, Arthur joined Barcelona for a fee of €40 million.

Although he performed reasonably well at the La Liga giants, he faced relentless criticism due to the club's tendency to favour new signings over existing players.

In the summer of 2020, Arthur was controversially sold to Juventus for €82 million by then-president Josep Maria Bartomeu in a swap deal involving Miralem Pjanić.

After joining I Bianconeri, Arthur won the Coppa Italia and the Supercoppa Italiana once each with the club; however, his performances remained unremarkable as he struggled to adapt to the pace of Serie A, was hampered by injuries, and failed to secure the absolute trust of any of the team's managers.

On 2022 summer transfer window deadline day, Arthur joined Liverpool on a loan deal that included an option to buy. 

However, hampered by persistent injury issues, Arthur made only one appearance for the Reds' first-team. Nevertheless, he earned praise for his professionalism and his willingness to volunteer to play for the Premier League giants' U21s squad under an over-age player dispensation.

In July 2023, Arthur was loaned-out to Fiorentina.

During his time with I Viola, Arthur helped the team reach the UEFA Europa Conference League final.

After returning from his loan spell the following summer, Arthur fell out of favour with then-Juventus manager Thiago Motta and was completely frozen out by the Serie A giants.

In August 2025, Arthur was loaned back to Grêmio for one and a half years.

Over the past year and a half, Arthur made 26 appearances across all competitions for the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A powerhouse, scored one goal, provided two assists, and helped the team win the Campeonato Gaúcho once.

Image source: Internet / Santos official website