Fiorentina teammate Marco Donadel has expressed his hope that Felipe Melo will stay with the Viola.

Discussions are under way for Melo to join Arsenal in a possible swap that will see Gunners' Emmanuel Eboue lighten the £21m buy-out load.

Donadel, however, is hoping otherwise.

Speaking to Sky Italia, Donadel said: "If Melo leaves, then it will be a big loss for us,

"Fiorentina would lose a great deal in physical terms in the middle of the park. Having so many talented players upfront, we need a midfielder who is strong and solid defensively like Melo."

The Italian midfielder also weighed in on arch-rivals Juventus' interest for Melo.

"Everyone has his own hopes and dreams, in four years here I have seen many players come and go.

"It would be a bit weird seeing Felipe in a Juventus shirt, but I don't want to judge anybody."

Felipe Melo has made 29 appearances and scored two goals for Fiorentina since he joined the club in 2008.