Despite the usual fanfare around signing any new player, there has been some doubters over the possible prowess of Arthur Melo – including from some so-called European football experts.
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Euro Leagues podcast, Raphael Honigstein gave his opinion on our decision to sign the Brazilian on loan.
The German said: “Liverpool are not willing to go into the market unnecessarily. Their thinking had to change after the injuries to Henderson and Naby Keita.
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“They don’t think Arthur will improve the team, but he can do a job in the short term. Then, they will go for the next 25 or 26-year-old midfielder to take them forward.”
It’s strange to think that we would ever go for a player that we don’t think would improve the team, regardless of how late in the day a deal was struck.
We will be hoping that the man from Juventus can arrive and perform at a high level, whenever Jurgen Klopp calls upon him – perhaps even starting with the Merseyside derby.
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There’s no doubt that we haven’t signed the 26-year-old in the full belief he will be the long-term answer to our midfield, although that doesn’t mean he can’t be.
With the potential deal being agreed with the Italians, we have an affordable price on offer for the midfielder and all he now has to do is to perform.
This opinion does speak some sense and it’s clear that this is only a short term solution but there’s no way that FSG or any of our coaches would ever sanction a deal for a player that wouldn’t improve the team.
#Ep58 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: Rating Liverpool’s UCL group, making a new signing… & more!