Juventus midfielder Arthur Melo has confirmed that he will leave Liverpool when his loan spell comes to an end this summer.
The Reds initially had no plans to bolster their engine room last summer, but injuries to Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara at the start of the season triggered a last-minute deadline day rush.
Rather than splash the cash on a big-name midfielder, Liverpool struck a deal to bring Arthur to the club for the 2022-23 season with an option to make his stay permanent for approximately £32.5m.
However, the 26-year-old's time on Merseyside has been nothing short of nightmarish, as he has made just one senior appearance for Jurgen Klopp's side, a 13-minute cameo off the bench in September's 4-1 Champions League defeat to Napoli.
A thigh injury and subsequent operation kept Arthur on the sidelines between October and February, and he has remained on the periphery of Klopp's team since recovering.
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Since the turn of the year, the Brazil international has been an unused substitute against Bournemouth, Manchester City and Chelsea, but he has failed to make Liverpool's squad for their last seven Premier League matches.
Prior to undergoing thigh surgery, Arthur made two starts for Liverpool's Under-21s against Rochdale and Leicester City, and he also completed 90 minutes in a second Premier League 2 game against the latter back in February, helping the Reds win 7-1.
Given his perennial struggles for first-team action, Liverpool were not expected to trigger the permanent clause in Arthur's deal, and the former Barcelona man has confirmed to Goal that he will wave his goodbyes to the Merseyside club this summer.
Despite his disastrous time in England, Arthur only had positive words to say about the club and Klopp, and he is hopeful of earning some rare minutes in what remains of Liverpool's season.
"Hopefully I have an option to say goodbye in Liverpool by playing something, to say goodbye to my team-mates, the technical committee and the fans, who have been very good to me," Arthur said.
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"Since I arrived, [Jurgen] Klopp has treated me really well. It is an honour for me to work with Jurgen. He is one of the best coaches in the world, he has always spoken well of me, he is someone incredible and the treatment has always been really good, elegant and special.
"The fact of being able to train with someone like him always gives you a lot as a player and I'm sure it's useful for what's to come because you learn a lot from him.
"Now that I'm recovered, I would obviously like to be able to play more, but I can understand that the situation now is different from what happened when I arrived, because at that time the team had some needs and now it has others, but I have the peace of mind that when I talk to them and they tell me that no one has any complaints with me, quite the opposite.
"Also all of Liverpool in general, they have treated me great and I only have good words for them and a very special affection. Next season I see it with good eyes. It will be decisive in my career and I am working very well. I'm looking forward to showing this new version of Arthur."
Arthur remains contracted to Juventus until 2025, but he has just one goal and one assist in 63 games for the Old Lady and is not thought to be in Massimiliano Allegri's plans for next season.
The 26-year-old is now the second player confirmed to be leaving Liverpool this summer alongside Roberto Firmino, while fellow midfielders Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner are all expected to head for the exit door at the end of their contracts in June.
Ben Knapton
