Liverpool’s scouts compare new signing Arthur Melo to another player already at the club, according to reports. The Brazilian has bags of talent.
This comes from the Athletic. They claim that Liverpool’s scouts compare Arthur Melo to Thiago as the Brazilian arrives at Anfield.
Liverpool now have Arthur on a season-long loan from Juventus. There’s an option to buy here, too – if the player shines, he’s sticking around.
Liverpool must rate the player highly, then. They feel they have Thiago-lite here, essentially, and that certainly strengthens the squad this season.
Liverpool scouts compare Arthur Melo to Thiago
No great surprise here. Arthur is a sensational passer and while he’s not on Thiago’s level, he’s of a similar type. And it’s a type Liverpool need right now.
We’ve seen in recent weeks how much they’re struggling to break down an aggressive press. Liverpool need Thiago but he’s out injured – difficult when he’s now such a key part of the side.
“I think [Thiago] is so key to them,” is how Tim Sherwood described him to Premier League Productions. “In his first season, it was about settling in, perhaps he slowed the game down too much. Now he’s so crucial for them to manage football matches.”
‘Managing’ the match means being able to take opposition gameplans away. It means pushing them back and giving Liverpool space to breathe. The Reds have become reliant on it.
Thus signing a player like Thiago was the vital thing here. Arthur arrives as someone who eases the reliance on Liverpool’s incredible Spaniard. That can only be a good thing, even if it’s just for one season.
You can easily see how he fits in, too. Obviously, the Thiago role is how Liverpool will use him but Arthur’s ability to pass through defensive lines should greatly benefit Harvey Elliott, Fabio Carvalho and Curtis Jones. They’re the midfielders looking to play between those lines, after all.
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