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Before Liverpool officially reached a deal with Bayern Munich for the transfer of Thiago Alcântara, several other English clubs, including Arsenal, were rumored to be interested in securing the services of the Spaniard. Arsenal will face Liverpool at Anfield twice in the coming days, and it seems likely that Thiago will feature prominently in these clashes after his stellar second-half debut against Chelsea.
With all this in mind, it should come as no surprise that Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was asked to address his team’s rumored interest during his press conference in preparation for the upcoming qualifiers, although he wasn’t exactly forthcoming when it was the inevitable question.
“We don’t discuss the things that we have to try to do in the market,” Arteta said.
While unwilling to discuss Arsenal’s rumored interest in signing Thiago, Arteta praised the new Liverpool midfielder when asked if he liked Thiago.
“I like it a lot since I was in Barcelona. He plays with an incredible personality, great talent, very special qualities to play in the midfield, ”Arteta replied. “He is a great signing for Liverpool.”
Thiago hopes to have a chance to prove that Arteta is right against Arsenal. It seems like a safe bet that he will have a role to play, and he could be in line for his first start against the Gunners after Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp confirmed that Jordan Henderson will miss Monday’s game due to an injury at the thigh.
With the Premier League still not allowing fans to enter the stands due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Arteta was also asked if he thought the empty stands at Anfield would be beneficial to his team in upcoming matches. While acknowledging that a packed Anfield makes Liverpool a tougher opponent, he did not try to downplay the great task that awaits his team, even with empty stands.
“I think obviously the crowd makes them stronger because it’s a unique atmosphere that they can create at Anfield,” said the Arsenal manager. “You can also see how well they are playing without the crowds, so we know the challenge ahead.”
