'A dream come true': Arthur in profile

"The move to Bayer 04 was not just my decision but also the whole family’s. At the end of the day, it was a decision that changed my life and their's," explained the 5'8" defender. The Werkself announced the signing of the pacy wing-back just ten days after his debut for the Brazil senior team at the end of March. For sporting managing director Simon Rolfes it was a "transfer with perspective," as he declared at the transfer announcement at the beginning of April.

from street football to professional player

Signing for the Bundesliga club from Leverkusen is for Arthur, full name Arthur Augusto de Matos Soares, the first outside his homeland of Brazil. The Werkself player was born and grew up in Bello Horizonte. He started his playing career in the Brazilian city of three million inhabitants when he played on the streets with friends and family at a young age.

"I always used to play in the street with my grandmother. At the age of six, my father sent me to a soccer school in the neighbourhood. I took my first steps in football there," said Arthur who went on to follow his calling as a full-back via diversions several years later: "I didn't really choose my position. At Cruzeiro (Cruzeiro Belo Horizonte, ed.) my coach tried me out as a full-back in the U14 team – and I was best in that position in the end." A stroke of luck for Arthur as the future would show.

The then 15-year-old joined the youth section at top-flight Brazilian club América Mineiro in 2019. After going on loan to Flamengo Rio de Janeiro in the following season and then returning to América, he moved up to the senior squad. In April of this year came the call from Bayer 04 and the Bundesliga – a "dream come true," as the ambitious defender says today.

Arthur on Bayer 04: "everything was right"

At Leverkusen, Arthur has the opportunity to continue the success story of famous Brazilian players at the Werkself. Wendell, Lucio, Zé Roberto – just a few of the many Brazilian players under the Bayer Cross who quickly became crowd favourites. “Oh, Zé is a model pro and a great person," says Arthur before adding: "I’d definitely like to follow in his footsteps. I want to establish my name in the history of the club."

Arthur had intense discussions with Wendell, who play for the Werkself for seven years, to be completely certain about his decision in favour of Leverkusen: "I had lots of offers from Europe and I fired questions at him about Bayer 04. (He laughs) His positive statements really settled me and gave me more confidence. The feedback on the club, a great history of Brazilians and the style of play – everything was right. So, my final choice was Bayer 04 – and I don't regret it one bit."

Family man and keen student

Arthur has now been in Germany for one month. At the beginning he was accompanied by his father and his agent. They flew back to Brazil when the Werkself headed off to the training camp in Austria. Arthur: "But my family will join me in August – my mother, my father, my sister and her fiancé. We've always been a very close family and that won't change now."

The 20-year-old has not had any problems settling in to his new environment. Arthur started learning German two months before coming to Leverkusen to put him in an optimum position to communicate with managers, coaches and players as soon as possible. He explained: "In addition to German lessons in Brazil, I was always on Duolingo. (He laughs) That enables me to learn extra things. And, of course, communication with the staff and my teammates helps too.”

"I think I persuaded them (Simon Rolfes and Xabi Alonso, ed.) when I said I would be the foreign player who learns German fastest," joked the ambitious Brazilian.

mate of Puerta and U20 South america champion

Arthur has a special friendship with teammate Gustavo Puerta. Both arrived in Leverkusen at the start of July when most of the Werkself players were still on their summer breaks or away with their national teams

The first point of contact between the two Werkself players was back in February of this year at the U20 South American Championships in Colombia. "Gustavo and I played each other there. Brazil against Colombia – a football classic. We had never spoken before but we knew who each other was. When we arrived here, the similar languages were a connection of course (Portuguese and Spanish, ed.). We helped each other and that's how the friendship came about."

Arthur was a winner at the tournament with Brazil. Impressed by the cohesion of the team and that everybody had the same common target was a "very special moment" in the life of the full-back.

He had similar feelings a few months later when he played his first international fixture for Brazil: "When I told my parents about the call up, we all started crying. Another dream suddenly came true. And when the coach called me up during the game against Morocco then my heart began to race. Adrenaline came out on top and I stopped thinking. After the game I had a huge sense of happiness. I cried with joy again."

first match build-up with the Werkself

The Leverkusen number 13 is about to experience his first match build-up with Bayer 04. Arthur and the Werkself face FC Teutonia 05 Ottensen at the Millerntor Stadium in Hamburg in the first round of the DFB Cup on Saturday 12 August (kick-off: 15.30 CEST). After that, he and his teammates will be in action in the Bundesliga and the Europa League from the autumn.

The lively Brazilian is highly motivated looking forward to his competitive debut: "My target is to be successful with the team – in all competitions. I'm a very committed person and know exactly what I want. I'll give my all. Off the pitch, the fans can count on a friendly player who is always happy to talk or pose for a photo. And they can also expect to see the best of me on the pitch."