Before Liverpool’s final season, Jurgen Klopp quietly pulled off a masterful move with Thiago Alcantara.
Liverpool have already started to rebuild their midfield with the Alexis Mac Allister signing. But, as Paul Gorst writes, a fit-again Thiago will also be a huge boost.
Of all the clues that suggest Liverpool have been taking a more long-term view in recent months, the decision to bring forward Thiago Alcantara’s surgery was one of the most telling.
In truth, however, Thiago’s campaign was virtually curtailed after his last start, which came in a 3-0 defeat at Wolves on February 4.
His return consisted of four substitute appearances that lasted a total of 96 minutes before the decision was taken to undergo surgery to correct what had become a long-standing complaint.
A hip injury, picked up toward the start of the year, left Thiago sidelined for two months between early February and April as he missed 10 games in total before returning as a second-half substitute in the 2-2 draw with Arsenal on Easter Sunday.
The decision to go under the knife was taken firmly with a view to having the former Bayern Munich and Barcelona star fit in time for pre-season rather than delay the minor operation so Thiago could continue contributing to the remainder of a campaign that had fallen by the wayside.
