Pjanic swaps Juve for Barca in £59m deal as Arthur goes other way for £66m
Barcelona have signed midfielder Miralem Pjanic from Juventus in a deal worth €65 million (£59.39m) only hours after confirming Arthur Melo had moved in the opposite direction.
The Spanish champions had earlier announced that Brazil international Arthur had joined Juventus in a deal worth an initial €72m (£66.06m).
Bosnia and Herzegovina international Pjanic’s signing was also confirmed on the same day that Juve club stalwarts Gianluigi Buffon and Giorgio Chiellini signed new one-year deals to remain at the Allianz Stadium.
Barcelona said in a statement on their official website: “FC Barcelona and Juventus have reached an agreement for the transfer of player Miralem Pjanic. The cost of the operation will be €60m plus €5m in variables.
“The player will sign a contract with the club for the next four seasons, until the end of the 2023-24 season, with a buy out clause of €400m.”
An earlier Barca statement regarding Arthur’s switch to Italy read: “FC Barcelona and Juventus FC have reached an agreement for the transfer of player Arthur Melo.
“The Italian club will pay €72m, plus €10m in variables.”
Barca confirmed both Pjanic and Arthur will join their respective new clubs at the end of the 2019-20 season.
Pjanic began his career at French club Metz and after a spell at Lyon he moved on to Roma, where he made 200 appearances in five seasons before signing for Juventus in 2016.
He won three Serie A titles, two Coppa Italia crowns and one Italian Super Cup with Juventus.
Arthur joined the reigning Laliga champions from Gremio in 2018 and has gone on to make 72 appearances for the club, winning the league title and the Spanish Super Cup in his first season.
Buffon and Chiellini, meanwhile, will remain with the Serie A leaders, who are chasing a ninth consecutive Scudetto this season, until the end of the 2020-21 campaign.