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Whoever said a week is a long time in politics probably never worked in soccer.
Seven days ago, Liverpool came out of an empty Anfield after having achieved the most nervous of victories against a newly promoted team at Leeds United.
The questions were enraged.
Defensive problems persisted, players needed signings and Liverpool’s title would be short-lived if this performance became the norm.
Incoming transfers seemed further away than ever and the Reds would need another injury-free superhuman effort for key men to get closer to the heights they climbed in July.
So it was at least one particularly negative school of thought. Then everything changed.
Monday arrived and Liverpool and Bayern Munich finally – belatedly, in the eyes of many – picked up the phone to talk about a certain Thiago Alcantara.
After months of intense speculation sparking frenzy, the English champions finally spoke to their German counterparts and a deal was reached.
Bayern made clear that they wanted a speedy resolution of the proceedings and aimed to have the terms signed, sealed and delivered before the defense of the Bundesliga title began on Friday night.
A £ 20 million fee was agreed with an additional £ 5 million in add-ons as the Reds got closer to signing a statement for the new decade.
On Friday morning, Thiago was in Merseyside, undergoing a routine medical exam and doing internal press duties that afternoon.
By 4pm, Liverpool had sealed their most prominent signing of the Premier League era.
The initial £ 20 million sum is the same as the Reds paid for Stewart Downing in 2011, but Thiago’s worldwide reputation marks the 29-year-old’s transfer as truly groundbreaking at Anfield.
Two-time Champions League champion at the peak of his powers, that Thiago’s only other previous clubs have been Barcelona and Bayern Munich is an iron test of his alchemy in midfield.
His undoubted pedigree will add a new dimension to Liverpool’s midfield next season. That’s a theory Jurgen Klopp has certainly adhered to.
“He is quite simple, he is, and no one would see him otherwise, an absolutely exceptional player,” was Klopp’s assessment on Friday.
There was a new layer of pleasant news for Liverpool fans to enjoy knowing that the beginning of Thiago’s career at Anfield did not spell the end of Gini Wijnaldum’s.
With both players in the final years of their deals, many had assumed that Thiago’s signing would see Wijnaldum sent to Barcelona, where his former national coach, Ronald Koeman, still lurks with interest.
However, that is not the case, leaving fans free to enjoy the talents of both players at Anfield for next season as things stand.
Fans were still toasting Thiago’s transfer when news of Diogo Jota’s five-year contract was confirmed.
A £ 41 million arrival from the Wolves places the 23-year-old in the top four of the most expensive in Liverpool history, behind Virgil van Dijk, Alisson Becker and Naby Keita, who joined during that record year of 2018. .
Jota’s play is timely given the continuing complaints about the lack of reliable and quality backing for the three forwards of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino.
Some have accused Liverpool’s front row of seeing a huge decline in quality every time one of those celebrated trios is absent.
The addition of the versatile Lobos star will help put those concerns to rest between now and the end of the season.
Thiago is a red!
A deal of more than 20 million pounds has brought the midfielder to Anfield, and he is ready to play for Jurgen Klopp.
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Liverpool are now heading to Chelsea with a jump in their stride and their team has improved significantly. His efforts to take home the 20th league title have improved tremendously.
Three points at Stamford Bridge will only fuel the convictions of those who believe that the transfers of Thiago and Jota make the champions the undoubted favorites to retain their crown.
There promises to be plenty of twists, turns and bumps in the road between now and May 23, but Liverpool’s chances for more glory are better than they were last Saturday.
The collective mood has been altered and the well-being factor that was hidden is now back.
Back in style.
What a difference a week makes.
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