Liverpool are ‘very happy’ with Arthur Melo amid reports suggesting his future is already under question at the Premier League giants, the Juventus loanee’s agent Federico Pastorello tells Gazzetta dello Sport.
There were real ‘Saul Niguez to Chelsea’ vibes surrounding this particular transfer; a big-name player arriving out of the blue, obscenely talented on one hand yet tainted by a dramatic plateauing of his development.
Arthur has played just 13 minutes of football for Liverpool’s first team thus far.
And some have even suggested that the Brazil international, who has struggled with a seemingly never-ending series of injuries since joining Juventus from Barcelona in the summer of 2020, could have his season-long loan deal cut short should Liverpool succeed in bringing in more permanent addition in the January window.
Pastorello, however, insists that such reports are wide of the mark.
Arthur’s lack of game time, he says, are simply the result of needing time to bed into a new league, and a new country. Let us not forget that Fabinho, Arthur’s fellow Brazilian, spent his first few months at Anfield on the bench too.
Liverpool are ‘very happy’ with Juventus loanee Arthur Melo
“The first few weeks are normal for adaptation and the recovery of (a player’s) physical condition,” Pastorello explains.
“Everyone is very happy with him. He has given up his holidays to stay in Liverpool to work. Soon, he will be at 100 per cent.”
Arthur, who nearly joined Arsenal eight months ago, has an option-to-buy clause in his Anfield contract. One Liverpool can trigger for £32 million.
“Arthur has been in over the international break to play games and build up his fitness,” Liverpool coach Barry Lewtas says of the 26-year-old, who started the recent EFL Trophy victory over Rochdale.
“That’s off his own back, so that shows his level of professionalism. He has been great with the lads as well. He has been first-class. In training on Monday, he was excellent. He really drove the lads.”
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