Liverpool loanee Arthur Melo's stint at the club "hasn't worked out", but he could still be utilised as a "stop-gap" until the summer, according to journalist Dharmesh Sheth.

The 26-year-old arrived at Anfield after sealing a move on loan from Juventus at the end of the transfer window, but he has been ruled out with injury for the last 16 matches.

GiveMeSport The Verdict

What is the latest news involving Melo?

As reported by the Daily Mail, Jurgen Klopp commented on the severity of Melo's injury, describing it as "really serious", but he admitted that he does not know the timeframe regarding his potential return.

Despite that worrying update, the Liverpool boss insisted that the loan will not be terminated early, saying in his press conference prior to the home fixture against Leeds United that when he is back, there is the opportunity for him to be included in the team.

However, pundit Alan Hutton recently told Football Insider that he expects the Brazilian to depart the club in January, paving the way for new reinforcements to be signed.

What has Sheth said about Melo?

Sheth admits that the move has not worked out thus far, but believes that Melo may be a stop-gap player for the remainder of the season, depending on whether he returns to full fitness.

In an interview with GIVEMESPORT, Sheth commented: "I just think that Liverpool decided to bring in a short-term fix for now and that's why they brought in Arthur Melo on loan. That hasn't worked out because he's been injured for the entire time that he's been there, effectively.

"I just wonder whether if he gets fit he will then become part of the plans for the rest of the season, as almost a stop-gap."

Read more: January Transfer Window 2023: When Does It Begin, Rumours and Everything You Need To Know

Is Melo good enough to succeed at Liverpool?

Due to injury issues, the central midfielder has received just 13 minutes of game-time for the Liverpool first team since arriving in September, and so he has had little opportunity to prove himself in a red shirt.

However, the 22-cap Brazil international showed some promising signs at former club Juventus that he could at least be a suitable backup player for Klopp in some of his side's less important games.

Melo possesses a particularly good passing ability, attempting to pick out his teammates an average of 73.92 times per 90 minutes over the past year, with this placing him in the 95th percentile compared to his positional peers, as per FBref.

Not only that, but the man dubbed "extraordinary" by Massimiliano Allegri completed 90.5% of those passes, highlighting his ability on the ball in retaining possession for his side.

As such, if Melo is able to recover from his injury, the £80,000-per-week star represents a good option for Klopp when fixtures begin to mount up in the latter stages of the season.

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