James Pearce shares summer update on Liverpool ‘forgotten man’ Thiago Alcantara
Thiago Alcantara – “Anfield’s forgotten man” – is set to leave Liverpool this summer, according to The Athletic’s James Pearce.
The report on Thursday (9 May) revealed that the Spain international midfielder, whose contract expires at the end of the season, will depart the club as a free agent.
His departure is likely to be overshadowed, however, by the simultaneous departure of legendary manager Jurgen Klopp when Liverpool play their final game of the campaign against Wolves at Anfield on 19 May.
Thiago Alcantara’s Liverpool legacy
Thiago’s time at Liverpool is full of ‘what-ifs?’.
What if the silky Spaniard had been able to stay fit more often? What if Liverpool had won the quadruple with him as the beating heart of midfield in 2021/22? What if fans had been able to appreciate his mesmerising talent at Anfield on a regular basis?
Sadly for the 33-year-old, injury issues have plagued his time on Merseyside and he just missed out on the biggest prizes as a Red.
Despite joining the club from Bayern Munich four years ago, in the summer of 2020, Thiago has managed fewer than 100 Liverpool appearances across all competitions, featuring 98 times.
He will not get a chance to add to that tally, either, having suffered with a hip injury that has kept him out for almost the entirety of 2023/24 – he made just one substitute appearance in the 3-1 defeat at Arsenal in February that lasted just five minutes and has not been seen again since, having aggravated the problem.
The 2021/22 season was his most influential, playing 2,386 minutes as Liverpool competed on four fronts – although injuries did still prevent him from featuring at all in the Reds’ successful League Cup campaign that year. While the Reds did win both domestic cups, they finished second in the Premier League and were beaten 1-0 by Real Madrid in the Champions League final.
Thiago’s legacy would likely be different had Liverpool succeeded in turning their double into a quadruple – or even a treble. But as his Anfield adventure comes to an end, many will be inclined to think, ‘What if?’
In other Liverpool news, Dermot Gallagher has reacted to a controversial Cody Gakpo moment in the Reds’ 4-2 win over Tottenham.
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