Official: Liverpool land Juventus midfielder Arthur on loan
Karan Tejwani
- Updated: 1 Sept 2022 22:06 BST
- 3 min read
Liverpool have announced that they have signed Juventus midfielder Arthur Melo on loan for the rest of the season.
It is understood that the Anfield club will pay the vast majority of the Brazil international's wages over this period.
A statement on the club's official website confirmed: "Liverpool Football Club can confirm the signing of Arthur Melo on loan from Juventus for the remainder of the 2022-23 season, subject to international clearance."
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Why have Liverpool signed Arthur?
The Reds have been plagued with injury issues in midfield with the likes of Thiago, Jordan Henderson, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain suffering some problem or the other.
That’s forced them to rely on some of their younger players including Fabio Carvalho and Harvey Elliott, and they have responded well, but they will need reinforcements.
Arthur has arrived to give them additional strength in depth.
Arthur close to Liverpool move
The move has come out of nowhere, with the Reds unwilling to invest in a permanent, long-term deal for a new midfielder, much to the disappointment of many fans.
Arthur has been at Juventus since 2020 when he joined from Barcelona as part of a deal that saw Miralem Pjanic go the other way, but he hasn’t impressed much in that time.
His inconsistent performances over the years forced the Bianconeri to reinvest elsewhere this year, bringing Paul Pogba back to the club earlier in the summer transfer window.
While he is talented on the ball and has been praised for it from his time at Barcelona and Gremio, there will be worries over his injury record as well – something Liverpool don’t need.
Arthur Melo is leaving Juventus to join Liverpool ✈️#DeadlineDay #LFC pic.twitter.com/tLYsoTjyAS
— Football Transfers (@Transfersdotcom) September 1, 2022
Niggling injury issues have already forced him to miss plenty of football – he has missed 23 games in his three seasons due to injuries and surgeries, as well 24 across two seasons when at Barcelona.
On the plus side, Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool will be looking at what he brings: a ball progressor well known for his ability to find passes and drive the play forward – something that fits in their system well.
There is a belief that the Reds want to go out for Jude Bellingham next summer, hence the more cost-effective summer this time around.
Arthur will add depth to the Lierpool and if Klopp can get the best out of him while maintaining his fitness over the course of the season, then it’s a signing with little risk.
