'Even against their mother' - Liverpool loanee Arthur Melo reveals what Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Neymar all have in common

• Brazilian played with three legends
• Is a big admirer of them all
• Taking in his own loan at Liverpool

WHAT HAPPENED? The 26-year-old midfielder has worked with Portuguese icon Ronaldo at Juventus, been a team-mate of seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi on the books of Barcelona and graced the same Brazilian national team squads as Neymar. He is better placed than most to comment on what makes that trio so special, as it is their relentless drive for perfection and tangible success that is considered to separate them from mere mortals.

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WHAT THEY SAID: Arthur has told GOAL: “Neymar, CR7 and Messi. All three have something in common. They have a winning mentality. Whether it's a training session, a friendly or a final, the three always go out to kill. Even if they play against their mother, they don't care. Their mentality is tremendous. Neymar is skilled, he feints, he dribbles... Cristiano scores a goal wherever he is, he scores a goal wherever he goes, because he has incredible ability... And Messi, well, Messi is an ET. An alien. One thing out of the ordinary. I had the opportunity to play with all three and see them up close. Each one with their characteristics, some dribble more or finish better, but I prefer their mentality. All three are out of the ordinary in that regard.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Arthur is currently working with the likes of Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk at Liverpool, but has seen just 13 minutes of competitive game time since joining the Reds on loan from Juventus in September 2022. He claims to still be enjoying his time in England, though, saying: “Since I arrived, [Jurgen] Klopp has treated me really well. It is an honour for me to work with Jurgen. He is one of the best coaches in the world, he has always spoken well of me, he is someone incredible and the treatment has always been really good, elegant and special.

"The fact of being able to train with someone like him always gives you a lot as a player and I'm sure it's useful for what's to come because you learn a lot from him. Now that I'm recovered, I would obviously like to be able to play more, but I can understand that the situation now is different from what happened when I arrived, because at that time the team had some needs and now it has others, but I have the peace of mind that when I talk to them and they tell me that no one has any complaints with me, quite the opposite. Also all of Liverpool in general, they have treated me great and I only have good words for them and a very special affection.”

AND WHAT'S MORE: He added on his hopes for the future: “Next season I see it with good eyes. It will be decisive in my career and I am working very well. I'm looking forward to showing this new version of Arthur. Hopefully I have an option to say goodbye in Liverpool by playing something, to say goodbye to my team-mates, the technical committee and the fans, who have been very good to me.”

IN THREE PHOTOS:

Rodrigo Lara GOAL

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WHAT NEXT? Arthur will be returning to Serie A giants Juve at the end of the season, with his contract there due to run until 2025, and has expressed a desire to force his way back into the Brazil squad when taking in regular game time once more.