Steve Nicol says Liverpool’s summer deal for Juventus loanee Arthur Melo is a ‘complete shambles’ if you compare it to the January transfer of Cody Gakpo, as he told ESPN.
The Anfield legend graded his former side a ‘C’ for their one and only deal last month and he added that ‘we haven’t signed another Arthur’.
Albeit Gakpo is still in the early stages of his reign on Merseyside, the Netherlands international is yet to score or register an assist, with Jurgen Klopp’s side struggles filtering through to his performances.
Another former Liverpool player thinks the former PSV man ‘looks lost’, but one thing that can be agreed is that he isn’t in the same boat as Arthur.
The 26-year-old joined to bring some much-needed life to a struggling and out-of-date Liverpool midfield, only for the player to spend most of his time in the treatment room.
He has only played 13 minutes of football since joining, as Nicol clearly isn’t a fan of the deal.
“It has to be a C (grade for Liverpool’s January window) because Gakpo is a good signing,” said Nicol. “He’s a young player. There is no question that there is loads of potential.
“It’s not like he’s signed another Arthur, shall we say. Now, that was a complete shambles. It’s not one of them. This guy can play. He will help Liverpool in the future.”
CAN ARTHUR STILL HAVE AN IMPACT?
You have to feel sorry for the player because this isn’t form or a lack of quality that is halting the player, but injury.
It’s a big blow because, at this rate, he will head back to Turin in the summer, where Juventus would want to part ways with him and Liverpool don’t want to take him back.
Unless there is a change of fortune during these next few months, he is back fit and the Brazil star lifts a midfield that needs energy and quality.
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