Lionel Messi's verdict on Mikel Arteta's Arsenal transfer plan speaks volumes

Mikel Arteta's transfer pursuit of Arthur Melo has got the approval of none other than Lionel Messi.

Mirror Sport understands Arsenal are keeping tabs on Juventus midfielder Arthur and have even held private talks with the Brazilian, where Arteta sold his vision for the Gunners going forward.

Arthur is keen on a move to Arsenal and Arteta is said to be a big fan of the former Barcelona star but Juventus are unwilling to let the midfielder leave until a replacement is signed.

Chelsea's Ruben Loftus-Cheek is a target for the Serie A giants.

Arthur signed for Barcelona from Gremio in 2018 in a deal worth £33million.

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He represented the La Liga giants for two seasons and made a solid impression on his then-teammate Messi, who likened the deep-lying playmaker to current Barcelona boss Xavi.

Speaking to Tot Costa back in 2018, Messi said: "Those who came are very good. Arthur, I didn't know that much about but he seems similar to Xavi. He's very safe and trustworthy. He has the La Masia style.

"Playing short passes, without losing the ball, and he grasped it quickly, the dynamic of the team."

Former Arsenal captain Thomas Vermaelen also had plenty of positive things to say about the midfielder around the same time.

"Arthur is a good player and of course, he needs more games to adapt to the club and style," Vermaelen said in 2018.

"But, his start has been incredible, he has all the battling skills and the technical ability to go right to the top."

After his two seasons in Spain, Arthur was snapped up by Juventus in a £68million deal, all figures included, with Miralem Pjanic going the other way but is now looking for a new challenge.

Arsenal are also keeping tabs on a number of other midfielders should their pursuit of Arthur fall flat.

The four names on Arteta's transfer wishlist are Danilo,Bruno Guimaraes,Youri Tielemans, and Georginio Wijnaldum.