Midfield masterclasses, expected issues and 660-day truth – Liverpool given Thiago brutal verdict

Thiago Alcantara is expected to leave Liverpool at the end of his contract this summer, having been limited to just one brief substitute appearance this season due to a long-term injury.

However, after he was reportedly spotted again at team training on Thursday, there is the possibility of a final appearance for the Spaniard at Anfield on the final day of the season. Regardless, he is likely to be given a farewell, similar to the likes of Divock Origi and Roberto Firmino in each of the last two seasons.

Signed from Bayern Munich in a £25million deal in 2020, his arrival was clearly met with great excitement. However, most of his career at the Reds proved to be injury-plagued. But how will the Kopites artist be remembered when his Liverpool career comes to an end? Our writers have their say…

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“Great player not worth the effort – Should have seen him coming”

Theo Squires: Let’s be honest, the red flags were there when Liverpool first found themselves linked with a move for Thiago Alcantara.

While no one could doubt his ability or record when it came to winning the biggest prizes with the biggest clubs, the injury record was there for all to see. Aged 29 at the time, such misfortune was never going to change – especially with the move to the more intense Premier League.

Costing £25m with a year left on his Bayern Munich contract, Liverpool saw an opportunity and took it. Signing Thiago was a gamble, but one they felt was worth taking, with Jurgen Klopp keen to work with the world-class Spaniard. The excitement was understandably greater than it had been for any of his other signings, with the midfielder’s status instantly seeing him as one of the club’s biggest earners.

However, after four years, in the cold light of day, was Thiago really worth the effort?

The Reds were Premier League champions when he joined the club, having won the Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup the previous year. They have two League Cups and an FA Cup to show for his efforts in the past four years, with the 33-year-old only involved in the final of the latter.

He missed both League Cup finals through injury, the second coming in the final 15 months of his Liverpool career, where he was limited to just five substitute appearances. Only an injected painkiller and delayed kick-off allowed him to start the 2022 Champions League final, where his impact was limited after he was injured in training the day before.

Yes, there have been highs, but the lows far exceed them. Although they are far more talented than Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Fabinho, Gini Wijnaldum, Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Adam Lallana, their CVs all read English, European and world champions. For all his skills, Thiago was ultimately unable to help the Reds turn solitary silverware into more triumphs.

He was a vanity signing and with the Reds’ injury problems well documented in recent years under Klopp, he was always destined to fall victim. Consequently, as great a player as Thiago is, he leaves with a career at Liverpool, obviously but inevitably, if it were. In fact, we all should have seen it coming.

“Never a flop, but never took Liverpool to the levels expected”

Joe Rimmer: Thiago Alcantara never took Liverpool to the levels everyone expected.

This is the brutal truth of the matter, even if some people don’t want to believe it.

He’s classy, ​​yes, and we’ve seen glimpses of his undeniable ability, not least in the 4-0 demolition of Man United at Anfield in 2022, the FA Cup semi-final against Man City that same year or his debut in 2020 , when he helped Liverpool turn the screw on 10-man Chelsea with an incredible second-half passing display.

But injuries saw him miss an incredible 660 days of football for Liverpool. He was at the club for only four years.

And that’s why, for me, signing him was a costly mistake. It came at a time when Liverpool were Premier League champions and his, along with a string of other injuries that year, derailed their progress.

He should have spent the money on someone more reliable.

Unfortunately, Liverpool have signed too many injury-prone footballers in recent years and this has hampered their progress too much.

And with Thiago, he should have known. The Spaniard suffered a string of injuries ahead of a stylish 2019/20 campaign with Bayern, but he was 29 when he arrived at Anfield and his frame was not suited to Jurgen Klopp’s high-pressing style.

And so, while I’d never label him a flop – he’s far too good for that – his transfer just didn’t live up to expectations.

“It’s a pleasure to witness, but no surprise fights”

Keifer MacDonald: Jurgen Klopp won’t be the only high-profile Liverpool figure to walk to Anfield for the last time on Sunday afternoon.

That’s because Thiago Alcantara – remember him? – will also say goodbye after a strange four-year period with the Reds.

Fresh from leading Bayern Munich to a Champions League triumph in the summer of 2020, it’s hard to remember an arrival at Anfield that generated as much excitement as the Spaniard’s.

But Thiago’s four seasons at Anfield have unfortunately failed to live up to those lofty expectations in the summer of 2020, with the Kopities unable to witness the midfield maestro’s magic on a regular basis due to a number of different issues of injury.

Should he be ruled out this weekend as he continues to nurse a hamstring injury, it means he will end his time on Merseyside with 98 appearances in all competitions, but with a handful of iconic performances for those who remember no less; including THAT Man of the Match against Manchester United in April 2022. Because of this, the substance of his Reds career will be debated long into the night after this weekend’s farewell.

Of course, Liverpool would have liked to have seen more of Thiago, especially this season where his only appearance of the campaign came in the closing stages of February’s 3-1 defeat to Arsenal. However, having signed for the Reds at the age of 29 and following a string of injury-hit campaigns with Bayern Munich, it is no surprise that his body could not cope with the demands of both Klopp and Premier League.

Sure, it could have been a different story for Thiago at Liverpool. But it was a pleasure to witness one of the most technically gifted players of his generation at Anfield, even if it was on an ad hoc basis.