ROME, July 17 – Juventus have completed the protracted signing of Brazil midfielder Felipe Melo from Fiorentina with Italian winger Marco Marchionni travelling in the opposite direction.
Juve confirmed on their website that Melo has arrived for 25 million euros following just one season in Florence since moving to Italy from Spanish club Almeria.
Melo had been a target for English Premier League side Arsenal but chose to follow fellow Brazilians Diego and Amauri to Turin.
Diego joined this summer from Werder Bremen while Amauri was prised from Palermo a year ago.
"I’m delighted to be at Juventus and I can’t wait to start working," the 26-year-old defensive midfielder told the official club website.
"I have a lot of faith in this team, which has been strengthened and can compete against anyone both in Italy and Europe."
Marchionni, 28, has gone in the other direction for 4.5 million euros, just three years after arriving from Parma for a meagre 300,000 euros, with Juve keen to stress the profit they made on a player who wasn’t always first choice.
