Arthur Thriving at Fiorentina After Learning Lessons from Liverpool
Arthur Melo’s loan move to Liverpool ended in failure, but the Brazilian midfielder is now thriving at Fiorentina, with lessons learned from Anfield. With only 13 minutes on the pitch and a serious injury that required surgery, Arthur’s stint on Merseyside can only be considered a disappointment. But the 27-year-old has regained his form after swapping Juventus for Fiorentina in another loan this season, featuring in all six games so far and starting five. He has already played 32 times more minutes for the Italian side than he did at Liverpool, though he believes his experiences with the club have helped him.
Arthur’s Mental Challenges
When asked how he sees himself now, Arthur told AS “Better than ever.” He believes this is partly due to the mental challenges faced while sidelined, having been “really looking forward” to representing the Reds. “I was really looking forward to playing in a different league. Everything was going very well in a great team, but in training I had an injury,” he recalled. “It was hard, mentally very hard, but you also learn. Now I look back and get something productive out of the injury. I started to work on the mental part, nutrition, rest and sleep. It was bad luck, but it belongs to the past now.”
The timing of Arthur’s injury made him a punchline in a difficult season for Liverpool, but behind the scenes it was undoubtedly rough for the player. He revealed that he consulted a psychologist during his time out, which has clearly helped him as he moves on with Fiorentina. “I was very lucky to have my family, my partner, who helped me because it was difficult, since you think: ‘My goodness, when am I going to come back…I now play in the operating room’,” he said.
Arthur’s Positive Outlook
Despite his failure at Liverpool, Arthur has a positive outlook on his experience with the club. “It never crossed my mind to throw in the towel, because I know I made a lot of sacrifices to get here. I know I’m still young and I still have a lot of football to play,” he said. He also praised the fans and club culture at Liverpool: “Liverpool surprised me a lot. The fans are incredible, but within the club everything has Klopp’s face. It is a family.”
Arthur Melo is now thriving at Fiorentina after learning lessons from his time at Liverpool. The Brazilian midfielder has already played 32 times more minutes for the Italian side than he did at Anfield and has consulted a psychologist during his time out to help him mentally. Despite his failure at Liverpool, Arthur has a positive outlook on his experience with the club and praised the fans and club culture at Anfield. With lessons learned from Merseyside, Arthur is now better than ever and looks forward to continuing his football career with Fiorentina.