Despite his hugely frustrating spell on loan at Liverpool, Arthur Melo could potentially be back for a second bite at the Premier League cherry next season.
The 26-year-old never got the chance to play in the English top flight for the Reds, having been given just 13 minutes for the first team as injuries and other unfortunate events conspired against him (Transfermarkt).
He’s now gone back to parent club Juventus for the time being, although he could return to these shores for another few month at least, judging by reports from Italy.
According to Tutto Juve, Newcastle are ready to move for the £110,000-per-week midfielder (Capology) and could seek to take him on loan with an option to buy.
However, the Turin club are set to demand a substantial loan fee and a €20m (£17.2m) purchase option if they’re to let him depart for a second successive season.
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None of the parties involved in Arthur’s move to Liverpool will be pleased with how it turned out, but while there may be a temptation in some quarters to dismiss him as a total flop, in truth he simply had no good fortune during his time on Merseyside.
As highlighted by James Pearce for The Athletic, a training ground injury sidelined the Brazilian for four months, either side of which circumstances outside his control served to deprive him of the game-time he could’ve otherwise expected to receive.
The journalist also pointed out how the 26-year-old impressed Jurgen Klopp and the Reds’ coaching staff behind the scenes with his attitude, with nobody at the club having ‘a bad word to say about him’.
It’s worth remembering that Arthur has won 22 caps for Brazil and played more than 100 times combined for two of Europe’s biggest clubs in Barcelona and Juventus (Transfermarkt), which you don’t get to do unless you’re a pretty good footballer.
It simply didn’t work out for him at Liverpool, but it seems he may yet get another chance in England if Newcastle can lure him back to the Premier League and give him the opportunity to actually play in the division.
He’s certainly due a change of luck, but with the Magpies now being a direct positional rival of the Reds, let’s just hope he doesn’t come back to haunt us next season if he ends up on Tyneside!