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Born in Brazil and starting his football career, Arthur Melo joined the Gremio team at the age of 14. A great start to his career and obvious talent caught the attention of big European clubs after a couple of years: Chelsea, Barcelona, and Atletico all showed interest. A. Melo left Gremio and joined Barcelona in 2018. He scored his debut goal in a friendly match against Tottenham Hotspur and started a successful period at the Catalan club. However, in the summer of 2020, the Brazilian signed a five-year contract with Juventus. Although a contract with Barcelona had been signed for seven years, the club decided to exchange A. Melo for Bosnian player M. Pjanic, making a mutually beneficial deal. The deal amounted to 72 million euros, solidifying the Brazilian's place among the most expensive players. Then, on September 1 of this year, English club Liverpool announced the signing of A. Melo on a one-season loan. Loan agreements for players are not uncommon: this opportunity is used when there is a lack of funds for player acquisition or when a team member cannot play due to injury and needs to be replaced. More rarely, players are loaned out when they are not satisfied with the club's conditions and no other teams offer them contracts. According to the rules of the Premier League, loaned players cannot participate in matches against teams with whom they have signed official contracts.
Three Liverpool players, Thiago Alcantara, Jordan Henderson, and Naby Keita, suffered injuries, so this English club especially needs an experienced midfielder. According to medical professionals, Henderson and Alcantara are expected to return to regular match play within 4-6 weeks. However, this means that Liverpool captain J. Henderson will miss important Premier League matches against Everton, Wolves, and Chelsea, as well as Champions League matches against Napoli, Ajax, and possibly the final English matches before the World Championship. Meanwhile, midfielder Naby Keita may leave Liverpool soon. The Guinean-born player is reportedly not satisfied with his situation at the club and has halted negotiations for a contract extension that expires in 12 months.
Liverpool officials clarified that the loan agreement with Arthur Melo includes a buyout option at the end of the season (the loan agreement amount is 4.5 million euros). If the Brazilian's addition to the team proves successful, the English club can purchase him for 38.5 million euros. A. Melo has international experience, having played for two of the biggest European clubs in recent years. In one of his first matches with Barcelona against Valencia, the Brazilian surprised by making 135 passes - a record for that La Liga season, attracting the attention of many sports experts.
Unexpectedly, the match ended with a 5-2 result: although the Catalan club was the favorite, no one expected such a high-scoring game. Sports betting enthusiasts predicted that Barcelona would score at least a few goals, but only a few managed to correctly predict the final score. As the season kicks off with new team compositions and unexpected results on the horizon, bet on your favorite team and yourself. According to current forecasts, Liverpool's chances of winning the Premier League or the Champions League this season are rated at odds of 1000/1, but of course, football championships always have an element of unpredictability.
Compliments for A. Melo came from one of the greatest midfielders of all time, Xavi, who stated that Melo has great prospects for his career at Barcelona, where he himself spent many years and is currently a manager. However, his two seasons at the Catalan club were not productive for the Brazilian. Despite the move to Juventus being expected to bring fresh air to this young player, the situation repeated itself and Melo did not have the opportunity to shine, even though experts recognize his undeniable talents.
Liverpool coach J. Klopp's approach to the game demands high endurance and excellent physical form, but Melo arrives at the club without having played a minute since Juventus' last match four months ago when they lost to Inter Milan in the Coppa Italia final. Speaking about the new team member, Klopp emphasizes: "A. Melo sets the pace, makes excellent passes, and has good speed with the ball." While Klopp acknowledges that Melo did not stand out at Juventus, he believes that Liverpool's style of play differs from that of the Turin club, and he sees potential in the young Brazilian footballer.
