The signing of Thiago Alcantara from Bayern Munich in September 2020, for the bargain fee of £20m, felt like a departure for Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp

Crowned as league champions just months prior, the Reds’ success to that point had been propelled by a midfield three full of powerful industry that serviced an explosive frontline.

The 29-year-old, born in Italy to Brazilian parents, who went on to play nearly 50 times for Spain, could graft and press when called upon for sure. But none of his strengths lay in his strength. He was, after all, a schemer.

His joining therefore was thought to represent an evolving of Klopp’s blueprint, in effect a different kind of string added to Liverpool’s bow.

And given the player’s immense pedigree – orchestrating four La Liga titles for Barcelona as a valued component of their sumptuous midfield before establishing himself as the pass-master of the Bundesliga – it was a move that was accompanied by a good deal of excitement by the Anfield faithful and understandably so. 

This was a technically brilliant talent who could take them up one notch further, improving their odds in the football betting that already had them down as favourites to retain their crown.

It feels like an odd thing to claim, concerning such a formidable footballing creation, but this was a player who could make Liverpool fully rounded.

Whether that has come to pass – if you’ll excuse the pun – is, however, very much up for debate. 

In three seasons on Merseyside, Thiago has missed 65 games, which equates to pretty much a third of his spell there, but it’s not just persistent misfortune with injuries that has the jury still out on the two-time Champions League winner and if he has been a success in England. 

There have also been dips in influence and the propensity to commit a costly foul or three. There has also been plenty of occasions when his artistry has proven to be an ill-fit with the frenetic endeavour around him, slowing down the process. 

So why, you may wonder, is a player who has blown hot and cold in the Premier League being celebrated here as a midfield maestro? 

It’s because his flaws, detailed above, only tell half the tale, a reflection on the oscillating impact he’s had at Anfield but absolutely not a judgement on his estimable ability.

Thiago Football Midfield Maestros

Elsewhere, on a good deal of afternoons decked out in red, a player the great Xavi once described as ‘extraordinary’ has been nothing but a joy to behold. 

Thiago floats about the pitch, his reading of the game so substantial he finds space moments before it appears.

Once he takes delivery of the ball you know it’s in the safest of hands, as an 86.5% pass completion rate for this term proves and what needs to be considered in this regard is how rarely he lays it off square. Risks are taken. He has adventure in his boots. 

Moreover, this is a player who on his day moves team-mates around like chess pieces on a board and does so eruditely.

Thiago can alter the betting odds with a single through-ball but in truth there are several in the top-flight capable of that. What sets him apart is his nous in seeing the pass before that pass. He makes the through-balls possible. 

There will regrettably always be a doubt as to whether Thiago Alcantara has been a decent signing for Liverpool.

Perhaps, it will ultimately be viewed as a player joining the right club, at the wrong time. But what a privilege it’s been to see him in action. A pass-master with the finest of pedigrees.


*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*

Stephen Tudor is a freelance football writer and sports enthusiast who only knows slightly less about the beautiful game than you do.

A contributor to FourFourTwo and Forbes, he is a Manchester City fan who was taken to Maine Road as a child because his grandad predicted they would one day be good.