1:47 Watch some of Thiago Alcantara’s best long-range passes
“The only worry for Liverpool is that the team hasn’t changed too much,” added Carragher. “Sometimes you just need a bit of freshness adding to it, mentally as much as anything.”
Thiago, a serial trophy-winner whose leadership on the pitch was plain to see during last month’s Champions League final, would certainly keep his Liverpool team-mates on their toes. It is also worth noting that, at Bayern, he has already shown he can thrive in a high-pressing team.
Thiago is rarely talked about for his off-the-ball work – in fact it is often framed as a weakness in his game – but what he lacks in outright athleticism, he makes up for in positional intelligence and work-rate.
Last season, in fact, he averaged more ball recoveries per 90 minutes than any of Liverpool’s current midfielders. In the Bundesliga as a whole, he ranked second for possessions won in the middle third of the pitch.
Those numbers suggest that, as well as giving Liverpool something different, Thiago would fit in with principles Klopp has already put in place. It is why this midfield shake-up may be the best way to improve Liverpool – even if it means sacrificing a player as important as Wijnaldum.
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