Liverpool are reportedly considering terminating Arthur Melo's loan - just two weeks after he joined the club on a season-long loan.
The Reds signed Arthur, 26, from Juventus on deadline day to ease their midfield woes. Thiago Alcantara, Jordan Henderson, Naby Keita, Curtis Jones and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have all suffered injuries this season, leaving them short in that department.
Jurgen Klopp admitted Liverpool needed to sign a central midfielder at the end of the window but was adamant they would only sign the right player. Arthur was brought in as a temporary solution, with Liverpool expected to sign a long-term successor next summer.
Yet it appears the Merseyside club might dip into the market sooner than expected. According to Italian outlet Tuttomercatoweb, Liverpool are considering terminating Arthur's loan deal in January when they can find a replacement for the Brazil international.
It's claimed Klopp has seen enough of Arthur and believes he is not the right man for the job. He was left on the bench for Liverpool's 2-1 Champions League win against Ajax on Tuesday after playing the final 13 minutes of their 4-1 defeat to Napoli six days before.
Massimiliano Allegri is reportedly not interested in reintegrating Arthur into his Juventus squad if the loan is cancelled, potentially leaving the Brazilian in limbo.
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Arthur has struggled to fulfil his potential since he was signed by Barcelona in July 2018. The former Gremio ace was transferred to Juventus in June 2020 but also failed to make an impression in Serie A, playing 42 league games during his two-year spell in Turin.
Juventus confirmed Liverpool have the option to sign Arthur on a permanent basis for £32.4million at the end of the season. The loan fee was £3.9m, although it is not clear whether the Reds are able to cancel the agreement ahead of schedule.
Klopp has urged Liverpool fans to be patient with Arthur over the coming weeks. "Arthur needs now just football - and training, especially, that's how it is," said the Reds boss ahead of their humbling defeat to Napoli earlier this month.
"He wasn't in team training for a while at Juve, so he needs proper team training - and that's what we are doing with him. Can he play minutes? Yes. Should he play a full game? No, because he needs to get used to the intensity in each competition.
"It's not like in the Champions League you have to work less than in the Premier League. Not at all, especially not here. He is doing well, he is really giving his absolute all in training, we have to be careful with him as well and then we will see whether we can use him."
After signing Arthur, Klopp said: "What does he bring? He's a really good footballer – I think we all agree on that... he can give rhythm, he's a really good passer, has speed with the ball, safe on the ball and, how I said, can demand rhythm, which is pretty important, really good in tight areas – all these kind of things. I like it a lot."
