Liverpool midfielder Thiago Alcântara has previously admitted he is "jealous" of his teammate Darwin Núñez because of his physical attributes. The Spaniard has spent the vast majority of the 2023/24 on the sidelined due to injury.

Thiago, 33, is approaching the end of his contract at Anfield this summer and it seems unlikely that his stay will be renewed in red. The Spaniard has been on the field for just six minutes this season, after making his comeback from hip surgery against Arsenal earlier in the year - before then picking up a fresh setback just moments after coming on.

The club had high hopes for the former Barcelona man, who arrived from Bayern Munich for $23million (€22m/£18.9m) back in 2020. He initially delivered in a Liverpool shirt but has been hindered by reoccurring injuries throughout the last two seasons, which have tarnished his tenure on Merseyside.

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With his injury problems and physical limitations hindering his ability to feature on the pitch, Thiago has previously opened up on his 'jealousy' of players such as Núñez, who possess immense pace and strength. Speaking to Liverpool’s Walk On magazine a year ago, Thiago said: "When you are into the game, when you are living the game, you just react. You cannot think too much, but running is not my thing. My thing is about making the team play slow or fast when we have to.

"For the best players in the world - and I don't have this - it is about trying to score 40 goals a season. I say to Darwin [Nunez], I never have had the feeling in my life to shoot the ball 30 metres in front of me and say I will win this race to get it. I feel jealous sometimes of that, for sure. But this is life, we always want what we don't have."

While Thiago is heading for the exit door this summer, Núñez is also being linked with a move away from the club. The Uruguayan forward has been the subject of heavy transfer links to La Liga giants Barcelona. The 24-year-old recently deleted all Liverpool-related photos off his personal Instagram profile, which has only fuelled speculation regarding his future.

However, the fact a player of Thiago's calibre and knowledge is "jealous" of the traits Núñez possesses sums up what the Liverpool striker could be capable of. While the club may be considering moving on, it's clear he has some rare qualities - and Thiago knows it.

Liverpool.com says: While Thiago does not possess pace and strength, he has his desirable characteristics that Núñez is probably envious of. His passing, reading of the game and composure are just a few of his specialties. This further outlines why it is so disappointing to see the end of his career plagued by injury.