‘One thing he needs’ – Liverpool transfer failed after signing ‘exceptional’ £71m midfielder

Jurgen Klopp and Jordan Henderson spoke about Arthur Melo ahead of his loan from Juventus e.V. to Liverpool

It’s been a strange season for Arthur Melo since joining Liverpool on loan from Juventus on transfer deadline day in August.

After the Reds lost Jordan Henderson, Thiago Alcantara, Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Curtis Jones to injury in the opening weeks of the season, the Brazilian finally had to catch up to regain form after a frustrating pre-season .

The former Barcelona midfielder made his debut as a substitute against Napoli in September and played 13 minutes. Eight months later, he hasn’t played for Jurgen Klopp’s first team.

A torn thigh muscle, sustained in training in October, required surgery and would keep the Brazil international out of action until February. When he returned, Liverpool’s midfield options were no longer exhausted.

The 26-year-old has been an unused substitute for the Reds on four occasions since overcoming injury, most recently against Leicester City last week.

Absent from the Liverpool squad that faced Aston Villa on Saturday, he now has just one last chance to make his Premier League debut. With the Reds’ final game of the season coming to Southampton, it also means the midfielder has missed out on playing at Anfield. His only appearance on the pitch came for Barcelona in their infamous 2019 Champions League semi-final defeat.

Arthur will return to Juventus this summer, having long ago decided that Liverpool will not sign the Brazilian permanently. But despite his lack of playing time at Anfield, he has only positive things to say about his year in England and his recent collaboration with Klopp.

Not having had the chance to see the midfielder on the pitch at the Reds, it’s obvious his loan spell didn’t go through. It’s now pretty easy to dismiss him as a flop his temporary manager may not have rated.

But Klopp practically apologized to the midfielder when talking about his upcoming move
Return to Juventus, with the departures of Roberto Firmino, James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, in his program notes ahead of the Aston Villa game.

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“I would also like to wish Arthur Melo all the best at the end of his loan spell,” said the German. Circumstances prevented Arthur from playing as much as he would have liked, but his professionalism and skill were evident to all who worked with him.

Meanwhile, Henderson echoed those sentiments speaking to his own captain’s column.

“On behalf of all the players, I would like to wish Arthur Melo the best of luck in what comes next in his career,” he said. “I speak luck because it’s the only thing he needs.

“Arthur is an excellent footballer and this has become very evident in the short time he has been with us. We hope that the platform he has given himself since his return from injury will serve him well in the years to come.”

Arthur turns 27 in August and could be at a crossroads in his career. He was unwanted at Juventus after being sacked by Barcelona. Now he has ‘failed’ at Liverpool as injuries continue to plague him. But behind the scenes, it seems his talent was never in doubt. Of course, he must have what it takes to play for both the La Liga and Serie A giants, as well as the Brazil national team, with the two clubs providing £71.3m and £34m respectively. £.8m to play to oblige.

He will remain a mystery to Reds fans as they never got to see how ‘exceptional’ he was to themselves. His next steps will determine if he has any idea what could have been or if he will just be a forgotten answer to the ‘Name all Jurgen Klopp signings at Liverpool’ question. “Who was that Brazilian we signed again from Juve?” At least he has company alongside Steven Caulker and Ben Davies in the Reds’ odd signing category.

For now, perhaps callous supporters will form their own opinion of Arthur’s talents. His lack of playing time seems to scream louder than any references to the character, with the likes of Alexis Mac Allister and Mason Mount now possibly emerging as Ibrahima Konate for Brazilian Ozan Kabak.

If he doesn’t play against Southampton on the final day of the season, his loan move will be seen as a monumental waste of time and a constant reminder of how the club’s failed attempts to manage renewal in midfield have given them a season of transition . . . In the end, the Brazilian leaves more questions than answers. However, we will have to take Klopp and Henderson at their word. Arthur Melo, Liverpool’s ‘excellent’ midfield solution who never even had the chance to fix the Reds’ ongoing problem.