The Reds were keen on a short-term signing for midfield but missed out on their preferred candidate.

Liverpool entered the final days of the summer transfer window with a huge midfield injury crisis. With the likes of Thiago Alcantara and Naby Keita nursing injuries, Klopp's men have struggled so far this season, picking up only nine points from a possible 18.

As a result, the Reds moved to sign a temporary solution. On transfer deadline day, the Merseyside giants completed a loan move for none other than Arthur Melo, the Brazilian maestro once heavily tipped with a move to Premier League rivals Arsenal.

The former Barcelona man has found game time hard to come by and thus jumped at the opportunity to move to Anfield. As for Liverpool, they did not want a permanent deal for the 26-year-old but agreed a season-long agreement with an option to buy.

However, according to a recent report, the Brazilian was not even their no.1 choice. Calciomercato writes that the Premier League giants were eyeing a different Juventus midfield prior to making a move for Arthur.

That man was Denis Zakaria. Klopp was keen on a box-to-box midfielder and identified the Swiss international as the ideal short-term option. However, the club were unsuccessful with their attempts to reach an agreement with the player and team.

However, Chelsea did not make the same error. The Blues were also adamant on strengthening their midfield and after giving up on their pursuit of Ajax ace Edson Alvarez, Tuchel's side made a move for Zakaria and wrapped up a loan deal in no time.

Neither Arthur nor Zakaria made their debuts over the weekend. However, with the UEFA Champions League kicking off this midweek, expect the two to feature for their clubs as rotation will be necessary.