Liverpool are working on a deal to sign Brazilian midfielder Arthur Melo on a season-long loan from Juventus, as Jurgen Klopp looks to negotiate his way through the club's current midfield predicament.
The 26-year-old is currently making his way to Merseyside to undergo the necessary medical examinations, before putting pen to paper on a temporary stay at Anfield.
Arthur was alerted of Liverpool's interest just hours after their victory over Newcastle United on Wednesday evening, in a game where captain Jordan Henderson was withdrawn with 20 minutes to go as he suffered a hamstring injury.
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"Obviously Hendo is injured, he got a hamstring [injury], which is absolutely not helpful," Klopp told reporters.
"[It was] that serious that he couldn't carry on, so it was no tactical change."
Henderson now joins Thiago Alcantara, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on the AXA Training Centre treatment tables.
So with Liverpool identifying Melo as a temporary supplement for the Reds' midfield woes, what can the former Barcelona man bring to Anfield?
Take the ball, pass the ball
In Arthur Melo, it appears Liverpool are getting their hands on a very progressive and neat midfielder if modern-day metrics are a fair barometer. As per FBref, the 26-year-old was ranked in the 97th percentile of midfielders in the last 365 days across Europe's top-five leagues when it came to average pass completion rates per 90 minutes. Having played 20 times in Serie A last term, Melo boasted an impressive average pass completion rate of 91.1 per cent.
Of those passes, the Brazilian averaged 5.12 progressive passes per 90 minutes, which ranked in the 80th percentile of central midfielders in Europe's top-five leagues.
Given how Liverpool tend to operate, dominating their opponents with the ball in attacking areas, Boasting someone as secure as Melo in possession will only help the Reds to sustain their attacks in the final third of the pitch, which, it goes without saying, naturally increases their chances of being successful in front of goal.
Despite being frequently compared to Xavi - by none other than Lionel Messi - in ability and stature, Melo surprisingly ranks high when compared to his peers for progressive carries per 90. In the last 365 days, the Juventus man has averaged 5.71 carries per 90, which ranks him above Reds trio Mohamed Salah (5.20), Trent Alexander-Arnold (4.47) and Harvey Elliott (4.47) for their totals so far this term.
Like-for-like for Thiago?
It was during the second-half of last season that Thiago Alcantara well and truly announced himself to the wider Premier League, as his presence in Liverpool's midfield saw the club sustain an unlikely title challenge just weeks after losing serious ground on eventual winners Manchester City during his mid-season spell on the sidelines.
It goes without saying how important the Spaniard is, which is backed up by statistics with Liverpool unbeaten in the last ten Premier League games the midfielder has started.
Forget acclimatisation to a new league, off-the-ball demands or tactical versatility. Thiago's biggest problem since making the £25m move from Bundesliga heavyweights Bayern Munich in 2020 has been ensuring he is consistently available for selection, especially in Liverpool's hours of need.
However, Liverpool may have found a like-for-like replacement in Melo, which would ultimately take the physical strain off the Spaniard playing three times per week once he returns from his hamstring injury later this month.
Statistically, as mentioned above, Melo and Thiago seem to be similar conductors in possession. Both midfielders boast excellent numbers in their ability to retain the ball and sustain attacks, but also striking the required balance of being purposeful in possession, highlighted by their high success and progressive pass rates.
Balance will allow Liverpool's young stars to flourish
Systematically, Melo's addition would add extra fluidity to Liverpool's struggling midfield. Without Thiago, there has been a noticeable shortage of a left-sided central midfield which has ultimately unsettled the engine room so far this campaign.
With Jordan Henderson forced to fill in for Thiago on the left-hand side, Harvey Elliott has subsequently seized the vacant opportunity on the right-hand side of a three. And after his latest outing against Newcastle on Wednesday night, his importance to this current Liverpool side is at an all-time high.
As for Henderson though, the midfielder endured another disappointing evening in a similar fashion to his outing against Manchester United last week, and it's become increasingly obvious that a natural left-sided midfield is needed in order to restore parity to the Reds' midfield.
The addition of the Brazilian would also allow Henderson to be restored on the right-hand side of midfield once he returns from injury, which could also help Trent Alexander-Arnold rediscover his prime form from last season.
In the absence of the Liverpool skipper on the right-hand side of midfield, Alexander-Arnold has been void of defensive reinforcements and has subsequently found it difficult during the opening five games of the season, with Newcastle the latest side to try and exploit the 23-year-old defender.
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