Liverpool have very rarely got it wrong when it comes to their transfer business during Jurgen Klopp's seven-year tenure so far with trophies becoming an expectation every single season for the club after assembling their high-performing squad.
However, this season the Reds have struggled to maintain their high standards and are now looking at ending the season with the certainty of no trophies and the potential of failing to qualify for Champions League football at the end of the campaign as they are currently sixth in the Premier League table with just ten games to go.
The once massively successful squad has seemingly turned stale in recent months with the highs of winning the domestic double less than a year ago drastically turning into some of the lowest lows under the management of the German coach.
Indeed, Liverpool have been struck down with the worst injury record in the entire top flight so far this season, however, there is little excuse for the lacklustre and uninspiring performances put on by many of the key players.
It is without a doubt that things must change at Anfield and the summer transfer window will provide a big opportunity to put together a squad overhaul in order to bring success back to the club next season with not only a desperate need for fresh perspectives but a necessity to let go of players who don't have a long-term future at the club.
One player who should be the first out of the door as soon as the final whistle of the final game of the season blows is Arthur Melo, as triggering his option-to-buy from Juventus would make no sense whatsoever.
How much has Arthur Melo cost Liverpool?
The centre of the pitch has been the main focus of concern for supporters and the media following Liverpool over the past two seasons with no permanent addition made to the midfield personnel since the summer of 2020 when Thiago Alcantara joined from Bayern Munich.
FSG got extremely lucky in their lack of investment in midfield players last year as their miracle-working manager led his squad to multiple trophies, however, this season it has been glaringly obvious that the refusal to reinvest is starting to take its toll.
On Deadline Day for the summer transfer window in 2022, Arthur Melo was snapped up by the Liverpool hierarchy to provide a crutch to the already injury-plagued midfield as Jordan Henderson, Naby Keita and Thiago Alcantara had picked up problems in the opening days of the season.
However, the £54k-per-week midfielder – dubbed an "enigma" by James Walsh – suffered an injury blow in early October that left him side-lined for three to four months after undergoing surgery.
It is reported that on top of paying Arthur's wages, Liverpool also paid a £4m loan fee which means the club have paid £424k for every minute (13) that the 26-year-old has played so far over 28 weeks – with all of those minutes coming from his debut and only display against Napoli in the humiliating 4-1 Champions League defeat.
Since returning from injury a few weeks ago, Arthur has been playing with the youth set-up to build up his strength though Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Liverpool have no interest in triggering the player's option-to-buy clause.
With that being said, Juventus have absolutely rinsed Liverpool during Arthur's short stay on Merseyside and supporters will be hoping lessons will be learnt ahead of the upcoming transfer window when getting business done to bolster the midfield.
