Liverpool loanee Arthur Melo has played just 13 minutes for the Reds since joining in August - touching the ball 21 times in that span.
It has been a tough campaign for the Brazilian midfielder, who arrived on his final day on loan from Juventus as Jurgen Klopp looks to bolster his midfield.
The 26-year-old was on the bench in Liverpool's 0-0 draw with Everton in the Merseyside derby in September, before making his debut in the Champions League group stage defeat to Napoli.
But so far, it will be his only appearance in a Reds shirt. He suffered a thigh injury in the same month that required surgery and missed 26 games. Advertisement
Since his return, Arthur has come on many times from the bench but has not yet been able to return to the field after injury.
Completely left out of the squad for the last three games, he may have played his last game for the Reds.
But how much did the midfielder cost the club per touch?
Advertisement
How much does Arthur cost Liverpool
According to Sky Sports, Liverpool forked out a £3.9m loan fee to bring in Arthur from Juventus at the start of the campaign.
And The Sun claim the midfielder has a £98,000-a-week contract with Juventus - with the Red Devils paying most of his salary. The total cost per touch is therefore only a rough estimate, but provided the figures above are correct, each of Arthur's 21 touches cost Liverpool a total of £342,857.
It was an unsuccessful loan deal with the Red Devils. Athletic, in addition to providing a figure of 21 touches, also announced that the Brazilian is set to return to Turin at the end of the current season.
It's not clear if he will play any role for Juve next season, but the 26-year-old will do his best to avoid injury next season and regain the form for which Barcelona paid the original amount. The first is 31 million euros to sign him in 2018.
Given that Arthur currently has contracts at three of the biggest football clubs in the world, talent is certainly there - but he is an example of what can happen to Klopp and Liverpool.
blogpay
Total Comments: 0