'We only want the best' - Mikel Arteta and Andrea Pirlo might be surprised by Arthur Melo joining Liverpool

Jurgen Klopp's need to sign a midfielder has been met with the acquisition of Arthur Melo on a loan deal from Juventus, but it might surprise Mikel Arteta.

The Arsenal boss passed up on the opportunity of signing the 26-year-old back in January after a deal to bring him to the Emirates was reportedly close and speculation about the move resurfaced earlier this summer.

But comments made by the Gunners boss back in February, after the mid-season transfer window had closed, suggest that he wasn't too disappointed that a deal couldn't be agreed.

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As per the Mirror, Arteta said: "Edu and his team did a fantastic job and they continue to do that. We only want the best players and the best people in this club. When we are in a rush and the reasons are not right for getting a player into the club, we decide not to do it."

Rather than return for Melo, the North London club instead signed Fabio Vieira from Porto. Klopp's last ditch dip into the transfer market has been accelerated after Jordan Henderson picked up an injury against Newcastle United, joining Naby Keita, Thiago Alcantara, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on the treatment table, with Curtis Jones only just returning to the fold.

Melo will be looking to make a positive impact at Anfield after failing to set the world alight at Juventus. The Brazilian can't rely on Andrea Pirlo as an endorsement however.

The former Juventus boss once called Liverpool's new player 'pig headed' after a game against Ferencvaros and went onto suggest that he did not have what was required to split open opposition defences.

Melo made 63 appearances for the Old Lady over two seasons, scoring once.

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