Liverpool’s loanee Arthur Melo must be wondering why he ever left Turin. The Brazilian midfielder arrived with high hopes in September 2022, only to make just one senior appearance for Liverpool. He hasn’t stepped foot in the Premier League yet – and there’s pretty much no chance he will now. In fact, for the last three matches, he hasn’t even been named on the bench.

Arthur arrived after Liverpool’s captain, Jordan Henderson, got injured during a match against Newcastle United. The club was desperate for someone to plug on the gaps, and Arthur fit the bill. He arrived in Liverpool ready to make his mark, telling everyone who would listen how thrilled he was to be there. And then…crickets.

It wasn’t all Arthur’s fault. Liverpool initially had no plans to sign a midfielder during the transfer window. But once their injury crisis worsened, they realized they needed reinforcements. And so, they agreed on a deal with Arthur, with Juventus lending him to Liverpool just to help out in the short term.

The problem was, Arthur wasn’t quite up to speed yet. Klopp knew it, the fans knew it, heck, even the ball boy knew it. It didn’t help that Arthur arrived with an injury, which meant waiting even longer to put him in the squad. By the time he was healthy, the midfield wasn’t as thin as before – in fact, it was downright buff.

Arthur tried to help the best that he could, even heading down to play with the Under-21s team to get in shape. Klopp appreciated his eagerness but still didn’t think he was ready for prime time. And then, of course, Arthur got injured while training. Cue the violins.

Months went by and Arthur remained on the sidelines. It didn’t help that Liverpool’s squad started to recover from their injury crisis, leaving little room for a player who wasn’t quite good enough. Arthur tried to be positive, posting updates on Instagram, but he eventually realized that his short stint with Liverpool was a failure.

All in all, Arthur’s time at Liverpool could be summed up in one word: “meh.” Klopp has already forgotten all about him, and the fans don’t even remember he existed. At least Arthur can take solace in the fact that he didn’t spend too much time in Liverpool’s doghouse. He’ll be back in Turin soon – and might be hoping he doesn’t get loaned out to another club anytime soon.

Serious News: nytimes