Why Arthur Melo cancelled holiday to play Rochdale
Robin Bairner
- 30 Sept 2022 08:51 BST
- 3 min read
Liverpool midfielder Arthur Melo is going to extreme lengths to prove himself to manager Jurgen Klopp.
The Brazil international arrived from Juventus on loan late in the summer transfer window amid an injury crisis in the Anfield side’s midfield.
The 26-year-old has not had the impact he would have wished on Merseyside. He has featured in just one first-team match since arriving, given a 13-minute cameo in a 4-1 Champions League defeat to Napoli when the match was already long gone.
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His beginning to life at Liverpool has been marked by a couple of postponements, while Liverpool’s poor form has meant that he has been left on the bench in tight encounters against Ajax and Everton.
This has led to rumours that Klopp has already given up on Arthur, although this has been stoutly denied by the club.
Arthur doing everything to be Liverpool success
Arthur, meanwhile, is clearly eager to do everything in his power to make an impact at the club.
This was underlined during the international break, in which the Daily Mail reports that he cancelled his planned holiday to take part in an EFL Trophy match against Rochdale. Although the Reds lost the game 1-0 against the struggling League Two side, Arthur gained a valuable hour of competitive football. This came just three days after featuring for the Under-21 team in a Premier League 2 match against Leicester’s academy side.
“He could have had a week off but he didn't want that,” Liverpool Under23 boss Barry Lewtas said.
“He wants to get fit, which shows his level of professionalism, and he's been really good to have around.”
Whether Arthur will have the impact desired at Liverpool remains to be seen, but the international break has proven that the on-loan Juventus midfielder’s commitment and drive cannot be questioned even if things don’t work out the way both parties would like.
