Liverpool opted to sign Arthur Melo on deadline day to ease their midfield concerns, but Arthur’s name wasn’t the only one on Jurgen Klopp's shortlist.
The Reds are believed to have explored a number of different potential solutions when it came to a stopgap signing in the engine room.
It is understood Liverpool were also tracking Arthur’s former teammate Denis Zakaria who has since joined Chelsea.
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But a surprise name, according to Fabrizio Romano, was Rafinha. Brother of star midfielder Thiago Alcantara.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano revealed “Liverpool explored many possibilities, I can tell you one of the names they had on the list was Rafinha from PSG.”
The Brazil international has subsequently joined Al-Arabi in Qatar, but Romano believes Rafinha was “dreaming of the possibility of playing with his brother.”
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The romantic aspect of brothers linking up at the same club would have been attractive one for Liverpool, but they probably made the right decision to make a move for Arthur instead.
While Rafinha has had an excellent career in his own right, picking up a Champions League win and 3 LaLiga titles along the way, he has never really been a regular starter at a top club.
Arthur, on the other hand, carries a bit more pedigree with him to Anfield. He hasn’t set the world alight since his move to Europe from Gremio in 2018, but his talents are appreciated by many.
In terms of his profile, he is also more stylistically similar to Thiago than Rafinha is which is crucial for Liverpool.
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Thiago is reportedly nearing a return from his latest injury blow, but he isn’t a player who can be relied upon from a fitness perspective.
So, Liverpool need a player who can seamlessly plug into their XI when the Spaniard is unavailable, and Arthur is better suited than Rafinha to being that guy.
It would have been great to see two of the Alcantara brother link up at Anfield, but from a footballing perspective, Liverpool made the correct decision to look elsewhere.
Topics: Liverpool, Liverpool Transfer News & Rumours, Fabrizio Romano