Liverpool managed to complete a shock deadline day deal this summer with the capture of Brazilian midfielder Arthur Melo from Juventus.
The former Barcelona star arrives at Anfield on a season-long loan with an option to buy at the conclusion of the campaign and will hand the Reds some much-needed midfield depth with Jurgen Klopp ’s side having gone through somewhat of an injury crisis over the last few weeks.
Supporters will however be made to wait to see Arthur make his first appearance for the club with the midfielder having not received his international clearance in time for this weekend’s Merseyside derby against Everton.
Despite that, the Brazilian arrives at Anfield with a glowing reference from none other than Argentina legend Lionel Messi. The pair were briefly teammates at Barcelona before Arthur moved to Juventus.
Speaking in 2018, Messi said of Arthur: "Arthur, I didn't know that much about but he seems similar to Xavi. He's very safe and trustworthy. He has the La Masia style. Playing short passes, without losing the ball, and he grasped it quickly, the dynamic of the team."
Those comments - particularly on Arthur’s ability to adapt - will only serve to bode well as he attempts to make a quick start to life at Anfield. Considering the club’s injury problems, he could well be expected to play a role sooner rather than later, particularly as Liverpool’s already testing schedule sets to ramp up to even more exhausting heights.
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The Reds are of course set to navigate Premier League, Champions League and Carabao Cup fixtures ahead of the winter break for the World Cup and Arthur could yet play a very prominent role in the side. It might be crucial then that the 26-year-old immediately garners an understanding of Klopp’s demands and indeed adapts to the infamous excursions of the English game.
Indeed, Arthur only needs to look to one of his compatriots over how testing and ruthless the Premier League can be. Fabinho arrived at Anfield in a surprise switch from French giants AS Monaco back in 2018 but endured a very slow start to life on Merseyside.
He did not play a single Premier League minute in Liverpool’s opening eight games of the season having been made to wait until late October to make his first league start for the Reds. Fortunately, that did not cost Liverpool too severely - the likes of Georginio Wijnaldum, James Milner, Naby Keita, Jordan Henderson, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Adam Lallana were all capable of stepping into the breach.
That initial hesitancy over Fabinho’s place in the Liverpool squad has proven to be a genius move by Klopp - the Brazilian having proven to be one of the most effective defensive midfielders in the Premier League in the time since.
Unfortunately, the Reds do not have the luxury of a wealth of midfield options to call upon this time, meaning that Arthur could well be needed sooner than Klopp would like. However, considering Messi’s complimentary thoughts on his former Barcelona teammate, the German might feel comfortable in the knowledge that he could enjoy a seamless progression into the Liverpool first team.
