“He surprised me” – When Lionel Messi claimed Brazil international is ‘very similar’ to Barcelona teammate Xavi

Barcelona legends Xavi and Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi once compared Arthur Melo to Barcelona legend Xavi. The Brazilian forward joined the Catalans in 2018 from Gremio, but failed to strike a chord at the club.

He spent two campaigns at Camp Nou, registering four goals from 72 games. However, he was never really a first team regular at the club and was sold to Juventus in 2020.

Despite his struggles, Arthur had an admirer in La Pulga. The Argentinean shared the pitch 60 times with the Brazilian, registering 42 wins and seven defeats.

Speaking previously about Arthur, as cited by MARCA, Lionel Messi stated that the 28-year-old had a playing style that suits the LaLiga giants.