Liverpool completed the surprise signing of Brazilian midfielder Arthur Melo on Thursday’s transfer deadline day.
The 26-year-old joined from Juventus to become only the sixth player to move to Anfield on-loan in the last nine years.
As one of the clubs at the top of the footballing food-chain, Liverpool don’t tend to deal to much in the loan market. At times though, needs must. Looking back at the five previous temporary signings The Reds made gives a good idea why they may be reluctant to sign short-term measures.
So, in case you’d somehow forgotten them, here’s a look back at the five Liverpool loan signings before Arthur.
Klopp brings in two emergency centre-backs
Arthur’s arrival on Thursday had some echoes of the last loan deal Liverpool did. Back in January 2021, Jurgen Klopp was desperately short of defenders.
As a result of injuries to Joel Matip, Virgil Van Dijk and Joe Gomez, Liverpool were left scrambling in the market on deadline day. In the end, it was Ozan Kabak who was tasked with helping Liverpool salvage their season.
The then 20-year-old Turk did a relatively decent job, making 13 appearances and playing his part in a top-three finish. The option to buy wasn’t exercised though, and he headed back to Schalke at the end of the season.
Before him, you have to go back five years to January 2016 for the last time Liverpool made a loan signing. That was the out-of-blue arrival of another emergency centre-back – Steven Caulker.
Caulker was perhaps the most surprising Liverpool signing of the last decade. Less surprisingly, things didn’t work out for him at Anfield and he departed after four forgettable appearances.
Rodgers fails to get the balance right
Caulker and Kabak represent Klopp’s only two previous loan signings at Anfield. The other three belong to Brendan Rodgers.
Unfortunately for Rodgers, his signings weren’t any more successful than Jurgen’s.
Firstly, the Northern Irishman brought in two players to help bolster Liverpool’s shock title charge in 2013/14. Although bit-part players in the end, both Aly Cissokho and Victor Moses almost played their part in an incredible season for Liverpool.
Cissokho was brought in initially as a first-choice left-back. He didn’t do a bad job in fairness, with one assist for a brilliant Luis Suarez header a particular highlight.
But he soon found himself out of the team, replaced by the then irrepresable Jon Flanagan. He left in the summer having made 19 appearances for Liverpool.
Moses was slightly more succesful. The only player on this list to bag a goal for Liverpool, he actually got himself two in 22 games. The first of those came on his debut as he burst onto the scene at Anfield.
Predictably, that was virtually as good as it got for Moses at Liverpool. Like the others on the list, he wasn’t retained.
The final loan addition is another supporters may have forgotten. Javi Manquillo rocked up at Anfield ahead of the 2014/15 season. Beginning the campaign at right-back, he soon fell out of favour and didn’t play from February onwards.
Mixed might be doing this list a favour to be honest. Not a lot for Arthur to live up to, then!
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