Former Liverpool player and manager Graeme Souness believes that there’s ‘no doubting’ Arthur Melo’s quality.
Arthur has been brought to Liverpool as a stop gap loan solution to reinforce Jurgen Klopp’s midfield. And writing for The Daily Mail after the Brazilian made his debut mid-week, Souness made a claim about what he expects from the player.
There’s no doubting the quality of Liverpool’s latest addition, Arthur Melo,” wrote the pundit. “But will he be able to deal with the intensity of the English game, given that Liverpool play games of cup final intensity every weekend and everyone always has to be at it?”
Questions we’re all looking forward to finding out the answers to.
Liverpool not sure what to expect from Arthur
Liverpool’s signing of Arthur was completely out of the blue on deadline day. Yes, Liverpool obviously needed a midfielder. But the Brazilian’s name was not one many would have expected to hear associated with The Reds.
It may be difficult to judge Arthur for a little while, though. Before Wednesday’s 15-minute run-out in Naples, his last football had come in May.
The 26-year-old’s last start had been a month before that even, on April 9th away at Cagliari.
All this means that he should be eased into life at Liverpool. Unfortunately for him, moves like the one he’s signed up to this season don’t tend to come with a settling in period.
As something of a break-glass option, Arthur may be needed sooner than he’s ready for. With midfield options light on the ground, he may even get his first start in Tuesday’s Champions League game against Ajax.
Having played so little football, it’s unfair to draw conclusions about him from these first few games. But as Souness points out, the Brazil international has plenty of quality.
He is playing for a potential future at Liverpool. If he can make an impact quickly, he could cement himself as a shrewd permanent option for next summer.
