2 years ago
425 
Photo by Giampiero Sposito/Getty Images
The 26-year-old Brazilian arrives for the 2022-23 season on loan to help the Reds through their midfield injury crisis.
Liverpool have this evening officially completed the loan signing of 26-year-old Brazilian midfielder Arthur Melo from Juventus, with the controlling player set to join a side in the midst of an injury crisis that compelled them to seek to sign a player at his position.
It’s not the signing of a young star like Aurélien Tchouaméni or Jude Bellingham the club started the summer wanting to make, but injuries forced a re-think of their plan to hold out until the summer of 2023 and Arthur represents a potentially solid fit based on need.
Potential is the key word as his last two seasons at Juventus have been something of an unmitigated disaster for the player, who was moved on from Barcelona to make room for Frenkie de Jong after two solid seasons as a regular contributor for the Catalan giants.
If Arthur can find form and fitness with the Reds, he should make for a press resistant presence on the left of midfield, a player with solid passing range and good movement off the ball and a willing—if not especially effective, it must be said—presser out of possession.
He is, in short, the type of player Liverpool could use in their squad right now. Or at least he is in theory. After two years stagnating in Italy and with question marks surrounding his professionalism, he could also just as easily fail to make any kind of a mark at Anfield.
For Liverpool, though, it’s a low risk signing having failed to bring in the likes of Tchouaméni or Bellingham as well as Plan B options like Konrad Laimer and Nicolò Barella, and if it doesn’t work out, at least they haven’t invested a significant fee and years of wages.
