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It didn’t take long for Liverpool fans to sympathize with Thiago, but it’s easy to forget how, not long ago, many were dismissing the move as nearly impossible.
It took just 45 minutes for the new Reds midfielder to show his quality after coming off the bench in the Premier League win over Chelsea, demonstrating the quality of passing that we have all witnessed over the past seven years at Bayern Munich.
It was an immediate adaptation from a player who had barely had a chance to meet his new teammates, suggesting there is a lot of room for improvement once he really gets used to life on Merseyside.
Yet for quite some time, the idea of the Spanish international moving to Anfield this summer seemed far-fetched. Not because he didn’t have the quality, or because Liverpool were not attractive enough, but because they didn’t seem to fit the player profile that the FSG used to bring to the club.
Generally speaking, Liverpool owners have only tended to sanction large expenditures on players who can offer the club a significant benefit both in the short and long term.
This approach has fueled moves for players like Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker, the Reds’ two most expensive signings, who were 26 and 25 respectively when they joined – not yet at their likely peak, but at a level where they could. make an instant impact.
The same applies to Diogo Jota, whose price tag of £ 41 million can be rationalized by the fact that he is only 23 years old, theoretically with a lot of time at the top and potential resale value, with plenty of Premier League games and goals already. to his credit. .
Thiago, however, is different. At 29, and with only one year left on his contract with Bayern when he signed, he doesn’t fit the profile. However, perhaps now we should describe this as the old profile.
In the past, one could have looked at a Premier League talent and dismissed him as a potential Liverpool player simply because of his age.
A player like Tottenham’s Son Heung-min, for example, is the kind of popular player that many would have been happy to discard to avoid disappointment. He is a proven Premier League talent, with international experience under his belt, who can play anywhere in a front of three. However, he is also 28 years old and is approaching the point where one would assume his next move, if he does, it will be his greatest.
As for some of the names linked to Liverpool of late, the likes of Ismaila Sarr were mentioned before the deal with Jota was finalized, while his partner Jamal Lewis, 22, was linked before Liverpool finally will add Kostas Tsimikas as the left back cover. There has been a broad pattern of proven ability, plus a potentially high cap on talent and value.
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Thiago has changed this on an individual level, and questions will remain as to whether it represents an absolute shift in focus or whether, for a player as talented as the former Bayern player, a separation can be inserted without affecting broader politics.
While Thiago has only played 45 minutes of first team football with Liverpool, the better he does, the more clamor there will be from fans to really push the pot when a player of his undoubted quality becomes available.
The next 12 months could go a long way toward defining FSG’s approach to transfers beyond that period. If Liverpool successfully defend their Premier League title, and if their new midfielder has a significant role to play in making it happen, it will be difficult for perceptions not to change. The idea that the FSG “never signed” certain players could soon be a thing of the past.
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