Thiago Alcantara’s signing by Liverpool represented both an opportunistic bargain and a change in direction for the club. The Spaniard was acquired for a cut-price fee of $31m with only a year left on his contract with Bayern Munich, but at 30 years old with a less-than-perfect injury history, he was also a departure from Liverpool’s traditional policy.
In the midst of Thiago’s first season with the club, Liverpool were on the verge of a historic quadruple, narrowly missing out but still achieving the domestic double. However, Thiago suffered a hip injury in January and has missed much of the recent action. He may struggle to adapt to Liverpool’s adjusted midfield and hybrid position for Trent Alexander-Arnold, with Jamie Carragher questioning where he fits in the team.
While Thiago is undoubtedly a world-class operator, he is also approaching the end of his contract and missing too much football to be a player Liverpool can build their team around. The club will have to carefully manage his playing time and consider him a bonus player rather than a core component of the team.