Brazilian midfielder Arthur Melo has joined English giants Liverpool on the final day of the transfer window, and for the meantime, Juventus fans can breathe a sigh of relief.
The 26-year-old was sent on loan to the Reds on Thursday without an option to be bought outright, and Arthur’s brief time with the Bianconeri has come to an end for now.
Arthur was jubilant after signing with Liverpool after two seasons at Juventus, and he will be uniting with Brazil teammates Alisson Becker and Roberto Firmino.
“I’m really, really happy to be here wearing this great shirt with this famous badge that represents so much in world football, it’s a dream,” Arthur said on Liverpool’s official website.
“Liverpool have a wonderful history in football. I’ve played against Liverpool, I know what it feels like to be in the stadium with the fans behind them.
“It’s a massive club with a great manager, great players.”
Arthur joined Juventus from Spanish giants Barcelona in June 2020 in swap deal with Bosnian midfielder Miralem Pjanic. The Brazilian was purchased for €72 million plus €10 million in bonuses while Pjanic was acquired for €60 million plus €5 million in bonuses.
Both players have been disappointments since the deal was conducted. Pjanic made 19 appearances throughout the 2020/21 La Liga campaign but was sent on loan to Turkish club Besiktas for the following season.
Meanwhile, Arthur made 63 competitive appearances and scored once for Juventus over two seasons, often struggling to make an impact. His body was too fragile to cope with physical challenges, and his distribution of ball was simple but often lacking in efficiency.
It is hard to see how the Brazil international can fit into Jurgen Klopp’s frenetic style of football but it is evident that La Vecchia Signora coach Massimiliano Allegri has little use for him.
Arthur will wear the No.29 jersey at Liverpool.
Juventus midfield experiences major overhaul
In addition to Arthur joining Liverpool, Juventus sent Denis Zakaria on loan to Chelsea on the same day, completing a transfer window in which the Bianconeri made several changes to the midfield.
Welshman Aaron Ramsey had his contract terminated and has joined French side Nice since then while youngsters Nicolo Rovella and Filippo Ranocchia have been sent on loan to Monza.
Juventus have made some impressive signings though with Angel Di Maria and Paul Pogba arriving on free transfers from Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United respectively, while Leandro Paredes has arrived on loan from Les Parisiens.
With Fabio Miretti also being integrated in the senior squad, Allegri has more options to work with in 2022/23, and possibly better than what he has previously, at least on a technical level.
Arthur is not gone for good but at least he is gone for now.
