Thiago Alcantara (Bayern Munich)

Fabinho is excellent, it’s no coincidence we have won 2 Major trophies since we signed him.

Was our best midfielder in 18-19 by quite some distance. Could argue we would have won the title that year too if he had been on from the start against City at the Etihad

Been hot & cold this season due to spells on the sidelines with injury, but I expect him to be back to his best next season. For me he's one of the first names on the team sheet, especially against the bigger sides. If Thiago comes (and Gini leaves) I'd be looking at an LFL swap & going with a midfield of Hendo, Fabinho & Thiago

Was our best midfielder in 18-19 by quite some distance. Could argue we would have won the title that year too if he had been on from the start against City at the Etihad

Been hot & cold this season due to spells on the sidelines with injury, but I expect him to be back to his best next season. For me he's one of the first names on the team sheet, especially against the bigger sides. If Thiago comes (and Gini leaves) I'd be looking at an LFL swap & going with a midfield of Hendo, Fabinho & Thiago

His performance against Messi at Anfield will live long as legend, those final few minutes, wow.

His performance against Messi at Anfield will live long as legend, those final few minutes, wow.

Absolutely incredible. Think I celebrated some of those tackles he threw in at the end just as much (if not more) than the goals!

Get him here, playing great against barca

Get him here, playing great against barca

Yep you can see he’s got quality and would add to our team and for peanuts in the current market.

he is class...sign him

I mean the guy is absolute top class and his fitness looks good.

This is a tricky one.

A decision on Gini's future very soon would make this a whole lot easier for us.

I mean the guy is absolute top class and his fitness looks good.

This is a tricky one.

A decision on Gini's future very soon would make this a whole lot easier for us.

I'd be more than happy to swap Gini for Alcantara

https://twitter.com/xxx/status/1294952883759263745?s=19

https://twitter.com/xxx/status/1294952883759263745?s=19

Cant see that being true to be honest

We couldnt agree terms with a player under contract at another club, to the extent its 'done' without agreeing anything whatsoever with the selling club

Nonsense season

Milner is a depth piece now.

Gini’s contract status and the lack of movement by either side leads me to believe the writing is on the wall for an exit eventually. Additionally, seeing Gini’s offensive success on his National team vs. the contained role Klopp has him play leads me to believe Gino yearns for an expanded role that is not available to him at LFC.

Henderson is aging

Despite Keita starters role because of Henderson’s injury, I’m not convinced Klopp has full trust in Keita as a top 3 starter in his midfield if Gini exits.

Thiago fills many roles:
Consistent assist man LFC lacks in midfield.
Leadership/heart/grit role Milner displays when on pitch.
Creativity and desire to push ball

This signing would address what I consider LFC’s most glaring deficiency.... creativity from the middle line.
The PL did a decent job containing the front 3....packing it in. The trend is clear.... LFC must always evolve

Milner is a depth piece now.

Gini’s contract status and the lack of movement by either side leads me to believe the writing is on the wall for an exit eventually. Additionally, seeing Gini’s offensive success on his National team vs. the contained role Klopp has him play leads me to believe Gino yearns for an expanded role that is not available to him at LFC.

Henderson is aging

Despite Keita starters role because of Henderson’s injury, I’m not convinced Klopp has full trust in Keita as a top 3 starter in his midfield if Gini exits.

Thiago fills many roles:
Consistent assist man LFC lacks in midfield.
Leadership/heart/grit role Milner displays when on pitch.
Creativity and desire to push ball

This signing would address what I consider LFC’s most glaring deficiency.... creativity from the middle line.
The PL did a decent job containing the front 3....packing it in. The trend is clear.... LFC must always evolve

What's a depth piece?

Gini is after securing a last lucrative contract, nothing more or less and I cant blame him, he is a relative low earner in modern football (90k) and knows this is his last big deal.
I wouldn't think he gives a shiny sh*te about playing slightly deeper for us, seeing as he is winning the absolute lot he can win doing so

Hendo aging? Hes about 8 months older than Thiago

What you consider the main deficiency in Liverpools play is essentially how the manager has built the this side that has won the lot in the last 12 months
The midfield is there to supply the forwards and the assists come generally from the full backs

The 'middle line' does exactly what the manager wants them to

What's a depth piece?

Gini is after securing a last lucrative contract, nothing more or less and I cant blame him, he is a relative low earner in modern football (90k) and knows this is his last big deal.
I wouldn't think he gives a shiny sh*te about playing slightly deeper for us, seeing as he is winning the absolute lot he can win doing so

Hendo aging? Hes about 8 months older than Thiago

What you consider the main deficiency in Liverpools play is essentially how the manager has built the this side that has won the lot in the last 12 months
The midfield is there to supply the forwards and the assists come generally from the full backs

The 'middle line' does exactly what the manager wants them to

Far away from the debate you are having with Redrew, I think what you outlined here is like you said what makes us successful but also a valid reason to look for alternatives in the way we play because opposition teams are not going to stand there watching for too long. They'll start coming up with ways of choking TAA and Robbo without necessarily giving all the space in the world to our wingers while doing so. Mane and Salas are, IMO, top 5 players in the world when it comes to movement without the ball and it simply puts the opposition full-back in total fear or having a 1v1 with Sadio or Mo and they instinctively tuck in closer to their CB which opens up a ton of space for Robbo and Trent). However, teams will come up with ways to choke both our wingers and full-backs in the same game.

At this point it will be important for us to have alternatives. Those alternatives, IMO, can't be provided by players like Hendo, Gini or Milner in a 4-3-3. Keita can provide penetration and creativity but Thiago is transformative in the sense that he gives you the possibility to completely change the way you play and how you position some of the other guys. You could quite easily put him in a double pivot with Fab and play a 4-2-3-1 with Gini, Bobby, Taki and Mo all being decent candidates to play in the hole behind a striker which creates a whole other set of problems for the opposition now stuck between countering creativity on the wings and creativity down the middle all while keeping Salah and Mane at bay. One could also argue Thiago is a 2 in 1 transfer that relieves you from buying a ready to play but willing to bench CB for another year (while Hoever and Van Den Berg all gain another year of experience) because Fabinho could be played as CB when needed without necessarily leaving a blatant hole in the middle of the park. Lots of tactical reasons could be put forward to argue that it makes sense just like a lot could be put forward to argue the opposite (starting with Keita being similar and that he could transition towards being as influental and transformative as Thiago with a bit of time). At the end Klopp is the boss and he'll decide but usually when a rumor is false it dies out pretty quickly unlike this one.

Cant see that being true to be honest

We couldnt agree terms with a player under contract at another club, to the extent its 'done' without agreeing anything whatsoever with the selling club

Nonsense season

Yes we can, if he’s been given permission from Bayern to make agreements with another club then he can, regardless of whether we’ve agreed anything with Bayern or not.

Henderson is aging

Thiago fills many roles:
Consistent assist man LFC lacks in midfield.
Leadership/heart/grit role Milner displays when on pitch.
Creativity and desire to push ball

Hendo is less than a year older than Thiago... So if Hendo is aging then so is Thiago.

This is shaping up a lot like the Pepe saga. Look for Edwards to have to make a mea culpa to Bayern any day now.

For what it's worth don't see thiago coming

I guess we’ll really find out once Bayern’s European campaign comes to a close, doubt there would be anything definitive while they are still in the competition. So probably after next Sunday when in all probability they have won the damn thing.

There seems to be far too much constant noise over this for it to be nonsense, even though the club have flat out denied any interest.

As mentioned above, once Bayern have finished in the CL there may be something more definitive either way.

I think he would take the team to another level, if that is even possible.

Yeh Surely there can't be too much in this whilst his team are favourites to win the Champions League.   

I guess if he'ee signing him, it will be after Bayern plays their last game in the CL.

I'm sure he's a priority, unless we're willing to sell Wijnaldum. Even if we were, I think we need an attacking midfielder more than a holding one.

I guess if he'ee signing him, it will be after Bayern plays their last game in the CL.

I'm sure he's a priority, unless we're willing to sell Wijnaldum. Even if we were, I think we need an attacking midfielder more than a holding one.

Jones will be our attacking midfielder next season.

If it's going to be done, can see it within the next week, announced concluding the Champions League games.

But I'll wait until something official.

If it's going to be done, can see it within the next week, announced concluding the Champions League games.

But I'll wait until something official.

I see a certain criminally-scandalous tabloid is saying we've agreed personal terms with him. Anfield Watch on Twitter says it as well.

You make a good point about teams waiting until after the CL is over. This one would still go against the run of play for me, but there certainly seems to be more smoke than usual.

But ultimately, I'm guessing this is not for real.