He may have been dubbed a flop since joining Liverpool - but Arthur Melo still wants the chance to make a farewell Anfield appearance for the Reds.
After falling out of favour at Juventus, the Brazilian star was signed on loan by Jurgen Klopp in September, as a potential solution to their well documented midfield issues. The initial loan fee was £3.9 million, with an option of a permanent move for £32.4 million at the end of the campaign.
But it's almost inconceivable that Klopp will utilise that option, with Melo restricted to just a single substitute appearance since his move - a 13 minute cameo in the 4-1 Champions League in Napoli. And the fitness problems that have since plagued the 26-year-old have seen him dropped to the Liverpool under 21s squad in order to get game time.
It's been a brutal fall from grace for Melo, who was hailed as a future star of world football when he signed for Barcelona from Gremio in 2018 in a deal potentially worth £35 million. After impressing in his first two seasons in Catalonia, 'The Old Lady' came calling with a £64 million bid, only for Melo to find himself surplus to requirements in Turin after just 42 appearances in two Serie A campaigns.
But Melo is bullish after his imminent return to Juventus, and he still hasn't given up of hope of making a mark in England in the coming weeks: “Next season I see it with good eyes," he told GOAL. "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.”
Indeed, Melo doesn't appear to hold any grudges over his lack of game time, and certainly not towards the manager: “Since I arrived, 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.
"The fact of being able to train with someone like him always gives you a lot as a player and I'm sure it's useful for what's to come because you learn a lot from him. Now that I'm recovered, I would obviously like to be able to play more, but I can understand that the situation now is different from what happened when I arrived."
Despite previous speculation that Klopp was set to cut Melo's loan spell short proving unwarranted, it does now appear unlikely at the 2019 Copa America winner will be thrown in at the deep end given Liverpool's recent resurgence. With just three Premier League games to play this month, Klopp's side are now firmly back in the race for a top four finish after their win over Brentford on Saturday, sitting fifth and just a point off rivals Man United.
