- Portuguese spent three years in Turin
- Impressed those alongside him
- Brazilian hoping to kick-start career
WHAT HAPPENED? Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo spent three seasons in Turin between 2018 and 2021, with over 100 goals recorded for the Bianconeri while collecting two Serie A titles. Brazil international Arthur was given an opportunity to rub shoulders with the all-time great during that spell in Italy, and the South American admits that Ronaldo did his best to raise collective standards and drag everybody along with him on and off the pitch.
WHAT THEY SAID: Arthur has told Mundo Deportivo of Ronaldo: “As an athlete and as a person, he is spectacular. He tries to improve every day. I remember that when we met at Juventus, in the dining room, he always looked at the rest of our plates and joked about what we were eating. He is very professional. I had never seen someone with his mentality before.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: While Ronaldo is still going strong in Saudi Arabia with Al-Nassr, Arthur’s career has stagnated. He took in a forgettable loan spell at Liverpool in 2022-23, making just one 13-minute appearance for the Reds, but the 26-year-old believes he can get back on track. He said of his present situation: “I will return to Turin, but the transfer window is very long and we don’t know what will happen. Something interesting may come up for me and Juventus. I have a contract and I respect it, but we’ll see.”
He added when asked if his future could include a return to Barcelona, with Camp Nou departed back in 2020: “In the world of football, anything can happen. I have lived very nice moments here and their style of play suits me. I talk a lot with Frenkie de Jong and also with ‘Busi’ [Sergio Busquets] and with Jordi Alba, who have just left. They are great friends. I have always tried to watch their matches because I like this style of play.”
IN THREE PHOTOS:
WHAT NEXT? Arthur is under contract at Juventus until 2025, but he faces fierce competition for places in their squad and moves are being made at the Allianz Stadium to freshen up Massimiliano Allegri’s midfield options during the summer transfer window.