Italian agent Federico Pastorello explained how Neymar was determined to bring Juventus midfielder Arthur Melo to Santos.
The 33-year-old superstar has recently made his return to his original club almost 12 years following his departure to Barcelona in the summer of 2013. The forward went on to represent Paris Saint-Germain as well, and he seemed happy to collect his astronomical paycheck for 18 months at Al-Hilal while hardly offering any contribution on the pitch due to injuries.
Luckily for the Brazilian star, he has now overcome his injury nightmare and is once again playing his football at his beloved club after sealing a free transfer at the end of last month.
Nevertheless, Neymar has been hoping for some company, so he tried to sponsor the signing of his international teammate Arthur who was also searching for a new club in January, as revealed by the midfielder’s agent, Pastorello.
“The idea of joining Santos was born at Neymar’s express request,” said the famous Italian agent in his interview with TMW via IlBianconero.
“He actually prompted the deal. And we were practically already there. There was only one issue left related to Arthur’s tax situation in Italy that could create problems, as they play from January to December, so they wanted him until the end of 2025.”
In the end, the Juventus outcast ended up sealing a loan move to Girona. Pastorello explained how that transfer came about when the Spanish club arrived in Italy to play a Champions League encounter against Milan on January 22nd.
“Then, Girona came to play in Milan, I met the club’s director for dinner and that’s when things got unblocked.
“The coach was determined to sign him. Arthur already knows Spain, it was the best last-minute situation. I’m very happy. In fact, I have no doubts that he’ll do well.”
