Liverpool's midfielder crisis has been solved by Arthur Melo – for now, at least.
The Juventus star has moved to Anfield on loan for the season, tasked with providing cover to a squad ravaged by injury. Jordan Henderson, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita are all out with no return date. Thiago's Merseyside career has been blighted by time on the treatment table.
With the Reds' ageing midfield, signing a 26-year-old with experience at the elite level is a good move. But could it actually improve this team?
1. Arthur Melo is already Liverpool's best passer
Statistically, at least. The Brazilian managed a pass completion rate of 91.1% last season, making him extremely impressive at retaining the ball. Being the most secure in possession means that not only will he be useful as a No.8, recycling the ball as Liverpool probe for goals – but he'll be trusted in the build-up, too, to drop deep.
Though Thiago is a No.8 alongside Fabinho or Henderson as the deepest-lying midfielder, he also drifts deeper to help the likes of Virgil van Dijk building out from the back.
2. Arthur progresses play and dictates tempo
As a former Barcelona player, it's not surprising to see that Arthur Melo is adept at controlling the pace of a game and taking the sting out of high-tempo matches. The Premier League will be an intensity above what he's been used to – in Serie A, at least – but the stats bode well.
The Brazilian is in the top 20% of progressive passing midfielders, making him capable of threading through balls or bringing wide players into play – but the sheer volume of the passes that he makes is impressive, too. Liverpool started against Everton with Harvey Elliott and Fabio Carvalho: both high-intensity dribblers who can take the game to the opposition. Arthur is more of a calmer presence to give Liverpool a more measured approach.
3. He's the closest thing to Thiago: who Liverpool are much better with
Liverpool are not the same team with Thiago in the midfield. A £25 million buy from Bayern Munich, the Spaniard took a little while to settle and make himself the main man – but now, the Reds need his kind of profile controlling things in the middle of the park.
Arthur offers the same kind of progression in midfield. He ranks highly for progressive passes and dribbles and will be the kind of spark in midfield who can replicate Thiago's presence. Given Thiago's injury issues and age, he now has a stylistic backup, meaning he won't have to be quite so central to Klopp's gameplan.
4. Arthur is a top presser
It's a prerequisite of being a Liverpool player. Arthur managed 21 pressures per 90 minutes last season – which is pretty high, considering that Juventus do not press with nearly as much intensity as Liverpool.
An intelligent midfielder who's good at following instruction, the Brazilian will likely adapt nicely to Klopp's system. He doesn't have the physicality or strength to impose himself on the opposition but he'll certain harry them in possession.
5. He complements the other midfielders
Liverpool have plenty of midfielders, now. Carvalho and Elliott now play in the middle, Henderson and Keita are still options, while Thiago and James Milner are still relied on, too.
Arthur played in perhaps the most pragmatic Barcelona team of a generation under Ernesto Valverde before playing under Andrea Pirlo and Max Allegri at Juve. He's played with a range of midfielders, from Paulinho to Andres Iniesta and he's subtly adapted his game depending on what's needed. He'll have no trouble in a midfield that has plenty of differing profiles depending on the situation.
