Liverpool’s Arthur: “I hope I have a chance to say goodbye”

Liverpool and Juventus midfielder Arthur has revealed that he wants to stay goodbye to the Anfield-based side by playing some minutes this season.

The Brazilian had joined Liverpool in a deadline day loan move last summer from Juventus. But due to physical issues, he couldn’t play at all and he later sustained an injury which kept him out for several months. While he is back fit now, Arthur hasn’t played for the first-team since returning to fitness.

His loan stint at the club ends at the end of the season and he returns to Juventus after that. In an interview with Goal Italia, Arthur revealed that he hopes to play some minutes before bidding farewell.

“I hope I have a chance to say goodbye to Liverpool by playing: I want to say goodbye to my team-mates, the coaching staff and the fans, who have behaved well with me.”

He also opened up about his experience in Merseyside and he hailed Jurgen Klopp as one of the best coaches in the world. The Brazilian said: 

“Since I’ve been here, Klopp has treated me very well. It’s an honor for me to work with him: he’s one of the best coaches in the world. Now that I’m healed, of course I’d like to be able to play more, but I understand that the situation now is a little different from when I arrived, because at that moment the team had some needs and now they have others.”

He also spoke about his future and stated that the relationship with Juve remains strong and he will initially return there as he has a contract at the Bianconeri.

“I have a contract for another two years with Juve. I haven’t spoken about it yet either with my agent, or with my family or Juventus. I’ll be back this summer because I have a contract for another two years. There is a lot of respect among us.”

Arthur also stated that the idea of returning to La Liga attracts him and he wants to have another shot at proving himself in Spain.

“La Liga attracts me and I could give myself another chance there: it’s a league I already know, to which I’ve adapted well. If there’s a team that bets on ball possession, that’s fine by me.”

The ex-Barcelona man had joined Juve on a swap deal involving Miralem Pjanic and since then, the careers of both the players have not experienced smooth sailing.

Kaustubh Pandey | GIFN