Arthur Melo’s loan spell at Liverpool may have been a hugely frustrating one for him, but it’s clear from an image which has been shared online that he’s been a very popular figure at the club.
After joining from Juventus for the season, he played just 13 minutes for the Reds’ first team and hasn’t kicked a competitive ball at senior level in nearly nine months (Transfermarkt) as he ends his involvement with the Premier League giants.
A training ground injury required surgery which kept him out for much of the campaign, while fixture postponements, domestic cup exits and his omission from the Champions League squad for the knockout rounds all conspired to work against him (The Athletic).
He missed out on the public presentations which were made to the four other Liverpool players who are leaving the club after last weekend’s game against Aston Villa at Anfield, but his teammates have ensured that he won’t depart Merseyside empty-handed.
Journalist Jack Lusby tweeted an image of the Reds’ Latin players and staff presenting the 26-year-old with a framed (and possibly signed) shirt bearing his name and posing for a photo with the midfielder, describing it as a ‘nice gesture’ from those responsible.
James Pearce highlighted in an article for The Athletic that, despite receiving so little senior game-time, Arthur made a big impression on those behind the scenes at the AXA Training Centre.
It’s only right that he was shown due appreciation for everything he’s put in on the training pitch over the past few months, even if his loan spell overall was a luckless one.
You can see the image from Lusby below, via @LusbyJack on Twitter:
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