After a long time, the Merseyside club looked like the champion designate when they thrashed Crystal Palace this Wednesday and established their authority in the Premier League. After sealing the deal officially, Klopp should concentrate more on the transfer window to add depth to his squad for the next season.
Now, Bild reports that Thiago Alcântara has decided to leave Bayern Munich at the end of this season with Liverpool a possible destination. The Spaniard may play under Jurgen Klopp next season with the manager thinking very highly of him.
Liverpool’s current situation
Presently Liverpool have Fabinho to ply the trade in the defensive midfield position. Players such as Jordan Henderson and Naby Keita can also fit into the role, although the latter two are more comfortable playing in central midfield. James Milner is an omnipresent man, but it must not be forgotten that the Englishman is 34 right now. Now the difficulty with Fabinho is the Brazilian’s inconsistency.
On one day he would score a goal like the one he did against Palace, whereas on other occasions, he would make a few rough challenges and lose possession frequently in the midfield. Other than that, Fabinho has suffered long spells out of action with injuries, and that has partially hindered his progress. If Liverpool are to challenge for silverware in the seasons to come continuously, they need greater depth in the defensive midfield region.
Is Thiago the right man?
The Bayern Munich star is undoubtedly one of the better players at his position, and he has proven that time and again. His passing range is exquisite, and this season the 29-year-old has achieved a success rate of 90.5% of completed passes in Bundesliga.
The ex-Barcelona man has the creativity and flair that is so common in players coming from the Catalonia region and the fact that he has made three dribbles on an average per game in the league validates this argument. Liverpool are known to employ the long ball approach at times with players such as Salah and Mane at the receiving end. In this respect, it is to be noted that Thiago has successfully hit 6.2 long balls per 90 minutes in Germany.
His defensive contributions are also noteworthy as the player has made 1.9 tackles, 1.9 interceptions and 0.5 clearances on an average per game in the league. With Robertson and Alexander-Arnold frequently moving up and joining the attack, the manager needs his midfielders to be a shield in front of the defence and Thiago is extremely capable of doing the same. He can also recover possession from the opposition players in the midfield with ease.
Should Liverpool make a move for him?
While it is not an unknown fact that Liverpool need better substitutes on their bench for the forward position, many tend to overlook their midfield issue. For far too long Milner has been asked to fill the role in the absence of Fabinho and with age catching up with the English star, we can expect his speed to be on a downward spiral. Thiago would be a perfect man for Klopp in the midfield, and the Spaniard is well equipped to be the first choice for the club. At 29, he still has a few good years left in him, and the Reds could take full advantage of that.
Stats from Whoscored.
