Jamie Carragher has claimed that new Liverpool signing Arthur Melo is not the answer for Jurgen Klopp’s side.
The Brazil international has arrived at Anfield on a season long loan deal from Serie A outfit Juventus as the Reds continue to be without a number of midfield options this term.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita, Thiago Alcantara and Jordan Henderson are all sidelined at the moment with respective knocks and despite Klopp previously insisting he was happy with the ‘size and strength’ of his squad, the German entered the market but opted for a temporary move rather than a permanent one.
Recently the former Borussia Dortmund boss had claimed that he will only make a move for the ‘right’ player this summer with Jude Bellingham expected to move to Merseyside next season and Carragher has now questioned the signing of former Barcelona midfielder Arthur.
“I don’t think Arthur is the answer to what Liverpool will need in the next three or four years; they need a younger, more energetic kind of player. But I think Arthur is in just to fill a space, that is why Liverpool have bought him late and on loan,” Carragher told Sky Sports (as quoted by Sports Joe).
“It smacks a little bit of what Liverpool did 18 months ago when they had lots of centre-backs injured and they didn’t buy anyone but brought in players on loan to have a look at them. Liverpool didn’t buy those players and went on to sign Ibrahima Konate in the summer.
“The actual midfield player they want is not available right now, so I think bringing someone in on loan is sensible… You can look at the funds other clubs have spent, and at times that does frustrate Liverpool supporters.
“All fans are the same, we all get excited by a transfer, but there is no point signing players you don’t need. Liverpool needed a striker and spent big on a striker. Liverpool needed a midfield player but the player they wanted was not available.
“The question is should they have gone for someone else? Yes, there is an argument that next season – with age and injuries – they will need more than one midfielder. It’s the one area you can question Liverpool.
“Yes, they are not panicking, but they could be in the market for two or three midfield players – could they have brought one of them in now? Midfielders are going to be the major shake-up in the next 12 months for Liverpool.”
Nobody is saying Arthur was the club’s number one option, but he’s an experienced international midfielder and a loan move is one that makes sense for both him and for us.
With the Qatar World Cup on the horizon at the end of the year, the Brazilian will be wanting regular game time to boost his chances of going to the tournament.
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If he can play well for us this season, go to the World Cup and have a successful campaign, then it’s a win-win for all involved isn’t it?
Bellingham is reportedly going to join the Reds next summer meaning Arthur does act as somewhat of a makeshift signing, but he’s probably aware of that.
He still has the ability to calve open defences with his passing ability and can control the tempo of matches from the middle of the park so this is a signing that we could look back on at the end of the season as a real blessing.
#Ep58 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: Rating Liverpool’s UCL group, making a new signing… & more!