Report: Liverpool thought they’d signed ‘incredible’ player on deadline day before settling for Arthur

Add as preferred source on Google

Liverpool rushed to sign a new midfielder before the deadline this summer and in the end, they managed to land Arthur Melo from Juventus.

Melo arrived at Anfield as an emergency signing by Jurgen Klopp. A number of injuries had sparked the German to re-assess his transfer strategy, with the Reds opting to move for Melo on a season-long loan deal.

However, things might have been different for both Liverpool and Melo. That’s because Liverpool were actually pushing to sign current Chelsea player, Denis Zakaria. In a report from Goal this weekend, Zakaria admitted his agent told him of interest from Anfield before he decided to move to Stamford Bridge.

“I heard that from my agent, but in the end it was Chelsea. It all happened very quickly. I didn’t know a move to Chelsea was possible until six hours before the end of the transfer window,” Zakaria said.

Dubbed an ‘incredible‘ midfield talent, Zakaria has actually been on the radar of Liverpool for some time. Indeed, the Reds’ interest stems back to before the January window, when Juventus actually beat the Reds to the signing of the dynamic star.

TBR’s View: Zakaria Would Have Been Better Liverpool Fit Than Melo

Of course, that might be harsh on the Brazilian who hasn’t exactly had chance to show his stuff at Anfield yet. But purely based on styles of play, it does appear Zakaria would suit Klopp and Liverpool better.

His all-action style and battling ways in the middle seem to suit the Reds, who like to employ a high-energy and hig-pressing style under Klopp. Melo, meanwhile, appears to need more time on the ball and want to play and dictate.

All eyes will be on Chelsea then, where it remains to be seen if Graham Potter will use Zakaria or not this season.