Rio De Janeiro: Fiorentina midfielder Arthur Melo said that he is in the best form of his career as he reaffirmed a desire to return to Brazil’s national team.
Arthur has not played for his country since March 2022 due to a series of injuries and inconsistent performances, reports Xinhua.
But he has been in sublime form since joining Fiorentina on loan from Juventus in July. The 27-year-old has made 12 appearances across all competitions for the Viola and is now an undisputed starter in Vincenzo Italiano’s first-choice eleven.
“I’m in the best form of my life. Both physically and mentally, I’ve never felt this way,” Melo told the Gringolandia podcast.
Arthur was considered one of the best young midfielders in the game when he joined Barcelona from Gremio in 2018 for an initial fee of 31 million euros.
After a promising start with the Catalan club, he suffered an alarming drop in form and was sold to Juventus in 2020, where his struggles continued.
An injury-ravaged loan spell at Liverpool last season provided the turning point. As he wallowed in the lowest ebb of his career, Arthur vowed to come back more motivated and stronger than ever before.
“Since leaving Barcelona, I’ve played in the (Italian) Serie A and the Premier League, and I have learned a lot,” he said. “I feel more mature and at a better level in a physical sense. I’ve worked hard to achieve it.”
Arthur is now hoping to add to his 22 Brazil caps, having missed a place in the Selecao squad for last year’s FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
“To return to the national team I have to do my part,” he said. “I have to be focused on Fiorentina and perform at a consistent level like I am now. Then I just have to hope that the manager (Fernando Diniz) considers me.”
–IANS