Arthur Melo will remain at Liverpool until the end of the season, assures his agent, but ‘obviously if Max Allegri remains at Juventus, we’ll have to find a different solution.’
The midfielder made the move on loan on September 1 for €4.5m with an option to buy for a further €37.5m.
He managed only two appearances for the senior squad and was then ruled out by surgery on a back issue, expected to return to the field next month.
Now Federico Pastorello, the agent who negotiated that move, has shot down reports that the former Barcelona man could be on the move again in the transfer window.
“It started in August from his pig-headedness to seek something else,” Pastorello told Tuttomercatoweb.
“Liverpool had already sent signals they appreciated Arthur Melo, but didn’t have the space in the squad. We therefore monitored injury updates and at the same time maintained an open channel with the Liverpool directors.
“We were a bit lucky due to the bad luck of others, because Liverpool had several injuries and while we were negotiating on August 28-29 with other clubs – because staying at Juventus was the least likely option, Jordan Henderson got hurt.
“That’s when Liverpool called on the penultimate day of the transfer session, we flew out on the final day for the medical and signature.”
Officially the paperwork released by Juventus states that Liverpool paid €4.5m for the one-season loan and have an option to buy for another €37.5m, but the exact details seem to be a little sketchy.
“He will 100 per cent remain at Liverpool in January. That was never up for debate and I don’t know who suggested he could return to Turin, but that is absolutely not the case and nobody has ever discussed it.
“As for what happens when this season ends, we’ll see. There isn’t a proper option to buy for Liverpool, but obviously if Allegri remains at Juventus then we’ll have to find a different solution.
“Should Liverpool therefore offer to renew the loan or make an offer, I think it would go well.”
Arthur Melo has been mentioned several times in wiretaps between Juventus directors as the ideal example of a player whose value was inflated to increase capital gains during the exchange with Miralem Pjanic to Barcelona.
We dont want him back
Cannot blame him. When you have the loch ness monster of Turin as well as the emperor of graveyard calcio, who in their right mind would want to play under him. Dusan is the latest example of an unhappy player ruined by the back, back, down, down.