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The best signings are always those whose impact goes far beyond their individual talents.
Take Virgil van Dijk who, as well as cementing his position as the world’s best defender, has improved those around him after arriving from Southampton for £ 75 million in January 2018.
Rarely has a record fee proven so profitable.
And the imminent arrival of Thiago Alcántara is likely to be just as profitable, even before the Spanish international has kicked a ball for Liverpool.
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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That Thiago will bring quality to the Reds’ midfield is a fact. Anyone who has witnessed his starring role in Bayern Munich’s Champions League success knows that, at 29, he is at the peak of his powers.
But where the incoming transfer can have the most influence is how he opens up squad options for Jurgen Klopp while, in true Fenway Sports Group tradition, he saves a few shillings in the process.
As already established, Thiago will not affect the future of Gini Wijnaldum.
Wijnaldum’s contract deadlock (he is in the last 12 months of his current contract) is being treated as a completely separate issue.
Klopp showed with Emre Can that he is happy to allow players to end their contract and leave for free if he thinks they can be of value to the team during their final campaign.
And since no Liverpool midfielder has appeared more times than Wijnaldum since the Dutchman’s arrival in 2016, there is no doubt that he is a player in whom the Reds manager has absolute faith.
A tempting offer from Barcelona in the coming weeks could put that determination to the test. But Liverpool would be in a strong position, obviously they don’t need to sell Wijnaldum.
* What do you think about Thiago’s move? Give your opinion in our survey HERE
Then there is the situation of the central.
With the departure of Dejan Lovren, the Reds have had no options at the heart of the defense. Van Dijk and Joe Gomez have been the first choice, with Joel Matip back in shape, now challenging to start once again.
After that, however, there are no dedicated high-level alternatives, as evidenced by Fabinho replacing as central defender during the second half of Community Shield’s loss to Arsenal last month.
It’s not perfect.But the added dimension of midfield offered by Thiago would give Klopp more leeway to use Fabinho as a temporary measure at the rear when needed.
In fact, the Brazilian was there alongside Matip when Thiago made his only previous appearance at Anfield, a goalless draw in the Champions League in February 2019.
While Jordan Henderson and Gini Wijnaldum have previously appeared at number six, Thiago’s versatility will help even more.
He appeared on several occasions last season with Bayern in a defensive midfield role, usually in a 4-1-4-1 formation as opposed to the 4-3-3 favored by Klopp.
Yet for the most part, the Spaniard was one of the two deepest midfielders, as against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final, with Bayern operating a 4-2-3-1 tactic.
That has become Klopp’s alternative in recent years, and freely switching to focus against Arsenal in the second half helped drag Liverpool back into the game.
The signing of Thiago, then, will not only improve the quality of the Reds’ midfield with a world-class addition.
It may also lessen the need for a new central, at least this summer, and may still help persuade Wijnaldum to stay, if he hasn’t already chosen one.
Clearly £ 27 million can earn you a lot these days.
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