Midfield masterclasses, expected issues and 660-day truth - Liverpool given brutal Thiago verdict

Thiago Alcantara is expected to leave Liverpool at the end of his contract this summer, having been limited to just one brief substitute appearance this season because of long-term injury.

Yet after reportedly being spotted back in team training on Thursday, there is potentially the possibility of a final appearance for the Spaniard at Anfield on the final day of the season. Regardless, he is likely to be granted a fond farewell akin to the likes of Divock Origi and Roberto Firmino in each of the past two seasons.

Signed from Bayern Munich in a £25m deal in 2020, his arrival was understandably accompanied by great excitement. Yet the majority of his Reds career has proven to be plagued by injury. But how will the entertainer be remembered by Kopites when his Liverpool career comes to an end? Our writers have their say...

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'A great player not worth the effort - Should have seen it coming'

Theo Squires: Let's be honest, the red flags were there the moment Liverpool first found themselves linked with a move for Thiago Alcantara.

While no-one could doubt his ability or record when it came to winning the biggest prizes with the biggest clubs, his injury record was there for all to see. Aged 29 at the time, such misfortune was never going to change - especially when moving to the more intense Premier League.

Costing £25m with a year left on his Bayern Munich contract, Liverpool saw an opportunity and took it. Signing Thiago was a gamble but one they thought was worth making, with Jurgen Klopp eager to work with the world class Spaniard. Understandably, excitement was higher than it had been for any of his other signings, with the midfielder's status seeing him instantly instilled as one of the club's highest earners.

Yet four years on, in the cold light of day, was Thiago really worth the effort?

The Reds were Premier League champions when he joined the club, having the Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup the previous year. Over the last four years, they have two League Cups and an FA Cup to show for his efforts, with the 33-year-old only involved in the final of the latter.

He missed both League Cup finals through injury, with the second encompassed in the final 15 months of his Liverpool career where he has been limited to just five substitute appearances. Only a painkilling injected and delayed kick-off enabled him to start the 2022 Champions League final, where his impact was limited after picking up an injury in training the day before.

Yes, there have been highs, but the lows outweigh them greatly. While far more talented than Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Fabinho, Gini Wijnaldum, Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Adam Lallana, their CVs all read English, European and World champions. For all his ability, Thiago was ultimately unable to help the Reds turn solitary silverware in multiple triumphs.

He was a vanity signing and with the Reds' injury woes well-documented in recent years under Klopp, was always destined to fall victim. Consequently, as great a player as Thiago is, he departs with a Liverpool career of obvious yet unavoidable what ifs. In truth, we should have all seen it coming.

'Never a flop but never took Liverpool to levels expected'

Joe Rimmer: Thiago Alcantara never took Liverpool to the levels everyone expected.

That's the brutal truth of the matter, even if some people don't want to believe it.

He's class, yes, and we saw glimpses of his undeniable ability, not least in the 4-0 destruction of Man United at Anfield in 2022, in the FA Cup semi-final against Man City the same year or his 2020 debut, when he helped Liverpool turn the screw on 10-man Chelsea with an incredible display of second half passing.

But injuries have led him to miss an incredible 660 days of football for Liverpool. He's only been at the club four years.

And that, for me, is why his signing was something of an expensive mistake. It came at a time when Liverpool were Premier League champions and his, along with a raft of other injuries that year, derailed their progress.

They should have spent the money on somebody more reliable.

Unfortunately Liverpool have simply signed too many injury prone footballers in recent years and it has impacted too much on their progress.

And with Thiago, they should have known. The Spaniard suffered a number of injuries before a classy 2019/20 campaign with Bayern but he was 29 by the time he arrived at Anfield and his body was ill-suited to Jurgen Klopp's high pressure style.

And so while I'd never label him a flop - he's far too good for that - his transfer just didn't live up to expectations.

'A pleasure to witness - but struggles no surprise'

Keifer MacDonald: Jurgen Klopp won't be the only high-profile Liverpool figure to take to Anfield for a final time on Sunday afternoon.

That's because Thiago Alcantara - remember him? - will also say his goodbyes after a peculiar four-year stint with the Reds.

Fresh from leading Bayern Munich to a Champions League triumph in the summer of 2020, it's hard to recall an Anfield arrival that yielded as much excitement as the Spaniard's.

But the four seasons that Thiago has spent at Anfield have, sadly, failed to live up to those grand expectations from the summer of 2020, with Kopities unable to witness the midfield maestro's magic regularly due to several different injury issues.

Should he be sidelined this weekend as he continues to nurse a hamstring injury, it means he will finish his time on Merseyside with 98 appearances across all competitions, but with a handful of iconic performances for those to remember him by no less; including THAT Man of the Match showing against Manchester United in April 2022. For that reason, the substance of his Reds career will be debated long into the night after his farewell this weekend.

Of course, Liverpool would liked to have seen more of Thiago, especially this season where his only appearance of the campaign came in the closing stages of February's 3-1 defeat to Arsenal. However, after signing for the Reds at the age of 29 and off the back of a series of injury-hit campaigns with Bayern Munich, it's little surprise that his body could not endure the demands of both Klopp and the Premier League.

Sure, it could have been a different story for Thiago at Liverpool. But it was a pleasure to witness one of the most technically gifted players of his generation turn out at Anfield, even if it was on an ad-hoc basis.