“It is an honour for me”: 26-year-old confirms he will leave Liverpool this summer

Arthur Melo confirms he will leave Liverpool and wants to play before saying goodbye

26-year-old Brazilian midfielder Arthur Melo confirms that he will leave Liverpool once his loan spell at Anfield ends in the summer.

The former Barcelona player was signed on a season-long loan from Juventus on the deadline day of the summer transfer window.

On the face of it, this looked like a move brought out of desperation to fill the numbers in the midfield department after an early-season struggle with injuries and performances.

As it turns out, Arthur managed to play only 13 minutes of first-team football for Liverpool this season. He was out for a long period with an injury

but hasn’t got a chance even when back fit and training. Here’s what he said about his time at Anfield and more (h/t Liverpool Echo, via Goal):

“Next season I see it with good eyes. It will be decisive in my career and I am working very well. I’m looking forward to showing this new version of Arthur.

“Hopefully I have an option to say goodbye in Liverpool by playing something, to say goodbye to my team-mates, the technical committee and the fans, who have been very good to me.

“Since I arrived, [Jurgen] Klopp has treated me really well. It is an honour for me to work with Jurgen. He is one of the best coaches in the world, he has always spoken well of me, he is someone incredible and the treatment has always been really good, elegant and special.”

Only a staunchest of optimists would have said that signing Arthur would solve Liverpool’s midfield problems this season. Even if he had been fit throughout the season, one would doubt whether he might have had any impact on the team.

The 26-year-old’s playing style and attributes are not a good fit for a Jurgen Klopp system. He is more of a passer and a slow-tempo player, fit for teams in the Italian league.

The Brazilian will now go back to Juventus, where his contract runs until the summer of 2025 (Transfermarkt). Will the Old Lady keep him or make a sale this summer? That is for them to decide.

For Liverpool, it must be a relief that the season is close to ending and a player who has made no impact is set to leave. He never seemed like a convincing signing to begin with and even the most optimistic Liverpool fan wouldn’t have had much hope from this transfer.

More Liverpool News:

• Manchester City to join the race for Liverpool target Ryan Gravenberch
• Liverpool ‘cool interest’ in Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo
• Jurgen Klopp hails James Milner with Liverpool midfielder set for Brighton & Hove Albion move

The club anyway has to make midfield signings in the coming transfer window. Getting two or three of them would be nice to add depth and legs to the most important department of a football team.