
Gunners boss Arsene Wenger has identified Fiorentina star Melo as the midfield anchor man he needs to add steel and experience to his young side.
Melo, 26, made an immediate impact in his first season in Serie A with some robust displays - but his tough style earned him a staggering 17 yellow and three red cards.
Despite that he has forced his way into the Brazil side and will start today against Italy in the Confederations Cup after scoring in the 3-0 win over USA.
Melo is seen the ideal sidekick for Cesc Fabregas and the Gunners may try to use Philippe Senderos as bait.
Senderos is surplus to requirements at AC Milan after a season-long loan at the San Siro - as he is at the Emirates after the arrival of Ajax defender Thomas Vermaelen for £10million on Friday.
This article has 53 comments
wenger should buy melo and some expirence players for fabregas to winn the trophy.
By maliamungu smart. Posted July 7 2009 at 8:18 AM.
Almunia
Sagna Zapata Vermaelen Clichy/Gibbs
Rosicky/Nasri Fabregas Melo
Walcott Chamakh/RVP Arshavin
By Franck Jeffers. Posted June 28 2009 at 6:05 PM.
We either need Melo or yaya Toure or Alonso, any of these 3 will be perfect for fabregas. Who ever Arsene decides to buy im sure he will be a brilliant player. Now start splashing the cash and buy 1 of these 3 players and maybe Benzema.
In Arsene We Trust.
By Jameslee. Posted June 28 2009 at 3:05 PM.
wenger shld sign melo if he wants trophy(ies) at the emirates next season.the guy is good (talkng from a scouts perspective)
By olowookere sam. Posted June 28 2009 at 3:02 PM.
In Arsen we trust, in Melo we can win. Pls dont let this fail.
By Alhassan Ghali. Posted June 28 2009 at 2:16 PM.
In Arsen we trust, in Melo we can win. Pls dont let this fail.
By Alhassan Ghali. Posted June 28 2009 at 2:07 PM.
Almunia
Sagna Toure Verminator Clichy
RVP Cesc Melo Arshavin
Eduardo Benzema
= TROPHIES!!!!!!!!!
By elliott. Posted June 28 2009 at 10:11 AM.
In arsene i trust,if he believes in him,then we all know that the guy as a style,lets give him an oppotunity,but we dont wanna wast another season without any trophy.
By odutuga ifedodoye. Posted June 28 2009 at 9:32 AM.
Prof. Wenger should pls hear us the fans crying of silverware. I want 2 show my rivals (chelsea,man u,liverpool) that my club Arsenal have something to show case this season, by signing at least melo(florentina) Ikechukwu uche (Gatefe) and call sanderos back 4rm AC Milan. I'm a gunner4life. Pls in wenger we trust. Onwusoroibe stanley Nigeria
By Onwusoroibe Stanley. Posted June 23 2009 at 10:14 AM.
Pls my prof. Wenger should please sign Melo and ikechukwu Uche of Gatefe. The are strong and hard working in the field of play. Stanley from Nigeria
By Onwusoroibe stanley. Posted June 23 2009 at 12:28 AM.
Felipe Melo, is a crackin player he would be a great signing for us. But Arsenal dont like spending money so another team might jump on the band wagon.
But i hope not...
By Darren waggott. Posted June 22 2009 at 11:27 PM.
i think we shud sign him..i have seen him in all the confederation cup matches and hes a more dynamic version of gilberto..would rather de rossi
By paddy. Posted June 22 2009 at 3:47 PM.
He is good. Watched him in Brasil colours for the confed cup down here in RSA, really good defensive midfielder.
By petros. Posted June 22 2009 at 12:58 PM.
Wow. it is a nice idea for wenger, it is the right time to survive here in arsenal Mr.wenger whach out
By bisrat. Posted June 22 2009 at 9:34 AM.
he could be the next Gilberto silva....just a bit more agressive... :)
By sup. Posted June 22 2009 at 10:03 AM.
Wenger, pls i have watch this MELO of a guy in action, he is a right choice for Asenal try as much as u can to sign him PLEASEEEEE
By Akin Ademola. Posted June 21 2009 at 10:33 PM.
That's the steel bite we need in our team. Arsene, please listen to the cries and voices of the anguishing fans and do us this favour - get us MELOOOOOO to mellow the trophyless four years down for us this coming season - pleaseeeeee sirrrrrrrr.
By Ikechukwu Ogbonna. Posted June 21 2009 at 8:30 PM.
Sign the chap Arsene, he is mature and has a presence. He could kick around anyone trying to disrupt our(Arsenal) beautiful game.
By Albert. Posted June 21 2009 at 6:47 PM.
FIORENTINA WONT SELL MELO. AT LEAST NOT FOR £15 MILLION.
By interfan. Posted June 21 2009 at 4:55 PM.
I think melo is good idea, thanks Mr wenger.
By Kevin. Posted June 21 2009 at 4:49 PM.
Please get Melo we need a presence in the middle.
By Gunnerforlife. Posted June 21 2009 at 4:07 PM.
please MR WENGER dont let benzema go to the mancs. he would be the last piece of the jigsaw then we are ready to challenge.
By tony michael. Posted June 21 2009 at 3:53 PM.
as a fiorentina supporter i am sorry to tell you HE IS NOT FOR SALE SORRRRRRRRRRRRRY
By liziocassar. Posted June 21 2009 at 2:49 PM.
***Team formation for 2009/2010 ****
Almunia
Sanga Toure Verminator Clincy
Walcot Y. Toure Cesc (c) Nasri
RVP Arshavin
By sangat Tamang. Posted June 21 2009 at 2:40 PM.
I think we should buy Veloso to partner Fabregas. Micah Richards or Steven Taylor, any one of the two would do in defence.
By Hashim. Posted June 21 2009 at 12:35 PM.
with this profile, he will be a good addition. Wenger should not hesitate pls. Aresenal for 09/10 EPL title
By Rowland. Posted June 21 2009 at 1:48 PM.
what we need also is a striker who can score 25goals in a season...
By henke. Posted June 21 2009 at 1:35 PM.
LOL I admit this guys a good players although to say we should pull out all the stops for him and that our season depends on him is a bit over exagurated... I agree we need a player like him maybe a little younger but I would love to see him at arsenal. You could see towards the end of last year that arsenal were not far from being a trophy winning side all we need was a class centre back which we have in the verminator and also a rock solid centre mid which this guy seems maybe to he the answer maybe we can get rid of adybeyor in order to finance him........
By lolilocecesc. Posted June 21 2009 at 1:22 PM.
I think Melo will be agood patnership with Fabregas...
Please sign him....
By Azrin. Posted June 21 2009 at 12:12 PM.
please Arsene get the experience plàyer not kids we need to win trophy this season
By idowu olafimihan. Posted June 21 2009 at 12:10 PM.
I don't know much about Melo but it seems as if you guys think that he is good. If he is a tough ball winner we should get him, and maybe involve Senderos, Denilson and Eboue in the deal. I think we should buy Micah Richards, because hes versatile fast and powerful. Who knows with the right training he could be as good as a young Marcel Desially or the beast Michael Essien. Another good thing about Micah is that he apparently supports Arsenal we need guys who love the club, not guys who just want to collect a heavy pay check and the end of the month. Wenger if your reading you know what to do!
By Cris the Gooner Blaizer. Posted June 21 2009 at 11:50 AM.
Please, stop doing this to me. Raising my spirit and lowering it is'nt good for me at all. Blood pressure rockets sky high and acids in my belly rising to give me heart burn.
Should this rumour prove to be true however, I will be all smile like a Cheshire cat-absolutely delighted.
This Melo kid appear to be more than a mere Brazillian. He is tough and has a lottle of bottle. Reminds me Vieira in his early days shouting and encouraging team mates even when Tony Adams was the captain. Oh my world!
By Goonerbeall. Posted June 21 2009 at 11:27 AM.
us fans have kept faith for 4 years without a trophy so the right thing would be to buy this player...replace him from denilson because denilson isnt good enough in midfield with cesc..yh he scores but once in a blue moon i think melo would be like how cesc was in the 07/08 season and if cesc finds that form again we will surely win the double at least..hopefully champions leagueand premier league
By Rob. Posted June 21 2009 at 10:59 AM.
@Yon: Thanks that`s the team of the season, we win it with games to spare... Come`n u gunners...
By Stuge. Posted June 21 2009 at 10:41 AM.
"Kolo doesn't have the adequate stamina to be a midfield enforcer unfortunately"
--------------------------------------------
Thats rubbish first game of last season we pushed Toure into defensive midfield and he looked solid.(admitadly against WBA) You always see Toure bombing on he loves to get forward and I've long always wondered why.
And as for "doesn't have the build" He's about 4 inches taller than Flamini and alot bigger and most people were begging for him back last season.
Think Melo would be a good signing, even if I do question his technical ability in a passing midfield, It would throw the cat amongst the pigeons of those who have no competition i.e. denilson,song and the likes
By Dave. Posted June 21 2009 at 10:25 AM.
from the comments av seen on the net sir wen shud jus go for dis guy so that he can be ready to link up with the rest when they resume for training how about that duds gud
By jums. Posted June 21 2009 at 10:31 AM.
"Why not make Kolo Toure play as the mid field enforcer - he has the perfect build and technique for it"
Kolo doesn't have the adequate stamina to be a midfield enforcer unfortunately.
By edgar. Posted June 21 2009 at 9:56 AM.
Is it true very nice I like him he is very strong and pass accuret boll for his firends so that wenger must buy this guy also strong his midfield.
By Ephraim Daniel. Posted June 21 2009 at 8:18 AM.
Why not make Kolo Toure play as the mid field enforcer - he has the perfect build and technique for it
By steve G. Posted June 21 2009 at 9:09 AM.
melo would be a good signing. He has what a central mid should have, but from what we have heard about his red, yellow cards in italy, he would probably treble that in prem league. Why not go for Alonso???
By umit mistiki. Posted June 21 2009 at 9:26 AM.
plz wenger we need more silverware get the right players gunner score more
By dola king. Posted June 21 2009 at 8:31 AM.
it's good to be true i seen this guy playing serie A and he is so tough to play agains and what i like about him is that he's timing and ruff tacklings,if arsen sing that would be awesome...plz arsen
By nordin. Posted June 21 2009 at 6:28 AM.
If I'm a fans of spurs, I'm more than happy to see Wenger not going to buy defensive midfield...
Wenger, please...we can't use diaby, denilison or song to compete with MU, Chelsea
By Spurs. Posted June 21 2009 at 4:44 AM.
I don't think arsene will be able to buy him cos milan's also interested and so many more clubs.
By Ikpa austin. Posted June 21 2009 at 3:02 AM.
Arsene, you know more than we do, if you think he is da right man, like Patrick, he us worth $$$$$$$$ big money.
By Farhan Farah . Posted June 21 2009 at 1:01 AM.
please please please wenger sign him his the real deal and he will make cesc play better.
By Rifleryan. Posted June 21 2009 at 12:34 AM.
Pls arsene wenger should us fans the to do what is right by getting the right players that will help us win silverwares next season
By Iyenemi David. Posted June 21 2009 at 12:16 AM.
real deal - be good if we get him
By gen. Posted June 21 2009 at 12:14 AM.
Arsene Wenger, we need Felipe Melo. Please sign him.
In Arsene We Trust.
By felipe. Posted June 20 2009 at 11:58 PM.
--------------Almunia---------------------
Sagna----Gallas----Verminator----Clichy
--------Cesc-----Melo----Rosicky/Nasri--
-------RVP------Eduardo----Arshavin----
We will win the league
By YON. Posted June 20 2009 at 11:48 PM.
This guy is the equivalent to Marcos Senna. Arsenal should be pulling out all stops to get him. He is the real deal. Please sign him. Our season depends on it. We will become a strong unit again if Melo joins this ailing Arsenal side. He is faster than Yaya Toure to the tackle and better all round than Flamini and Anderson. His body frame is not that of a potential like Denilson. He is the real deal. If he will cost £18m straight cash, it is worth taking out a loan for him now and balance the books if not now then later on if we sell anyone. But we need to buy Melo at all costs.
By daymee. Posted June 20 2009 at 11:44 PM.
how good is this guy
By tony. Posted June 20 2009 at 11:39 PM.
please AW should buy him even if thats the only person he will buy for the summer
By Onogwu. Posted June 20 2009 at 11:24 PM.