After a summer of unrelenting speculation, Liverpool have finally secured the services of Thiago Alcantara – one of the best midfield players in world football.
According to Transfermarkt, Thiago is only the 13th most expensive signing in the Reds’ history, even when you factor success-based add-ons.
But it is difficult to think of any Liverpool acquisition who has arrived with so grand a reputation.
Indeed, it is telling that the 12 more expensive signings had amassed 16 major trophies between them before moving to Anfield, while Thiago has racked up a staggering 28 alone.
According to a friend of the player’s family, quoted by The Athletic, Thiago has been sure of his next destination for ‘several months’.
And Jurgen Klopp’s admiration of the Spaniard extends back a lot further. Liverpool fans will recall his endorsement of Naby Keita back in 2018:
"He was two years ago, together with maybe Thiago Alcantara of Bayern, for sure the best player in the Bundesliga by far," he said.
But since Klopp successfully courted Thiago back in June, it has been a waiting game.
Why?
It was widely reported that any deal for Thiago hinged upon the departure of incumbent midfielders. Georginio Wijnaldum seemed the most likely fundraising candidate.
Like Thiago, his contract was due to expire in the summer of 2021 and negotiations with a club keen to keep him had proven unsuccessful.
When Ronald Koeman left his Netherlands post to take charge of Barcelona, it didn’t take long for the media to put two and two together.
But, either because they couldn’t afford to meet Liverpool’s asking price or because their interest was manufactured by the press, no offer was forthcoming from Catalonia.
Nor were Liverpool visibly finding any joy in their efforts to lucratively offload fringe players elsewhere in the squad.
Could this inactivity scupper the deal?
Midway through this week, Liverpool abandoned their passive approach and made their decisive move.
A clearer picture
What changed?
Well, you might say nothing changed, that there was no rush in the first place. Thiago’s season, after all, didn’t end until 23 August with a starring performance in the Champions League final. And then he was entitled to his holiday.
He could never realistically have been part of Liverpool’s plans for their season-opener against Leeds. Klopp has historically sought to get business done early to maximise adaptation time, but there was no such luxury afforded by the condensed 2020/21 calendar.
Yet by the time Thiago left for his well-earned break, he had bid his team-mates goodbye, according to Bild, only to then rather awkwardly return to Munich for pre-season training. Clearly, the delay was unexpected.
Was it a case of Liverpool deliberately allowing the saga to drag on? Were they banking on drastically reduced demands as Bayern confronted the ever-growing possibility of losing Thiago on a free transfer?
Unlikely. Liverpool are pretty much in a sell-to-buy position this summer because self-sustainability and prudence are integral to the philosophy of the present regime. They made these financial realities known to the journalists closest to the club.
Liverpool wanted Thiago but needed to sell players to afford him, so the signals read. Perhaps eventually he would lose patience and give up his dream, just as Timo Werner accepted Chelsea’s overtures while the Reds licked their monetary wounds.
Logically, then, the longer the wait for meaningful negotiations with Bayern, the more the club would struggle to sell their own assets for the desired prices. Suitors would be all-too-aware of the club’s need for a cash injection, so playing hardball was off the table.
This is why there’s reason to believe the picture rather abruptly changed this week.
Perhaps Liverpool at last established a clear roadmap for the remaining two-and-a-half weeks of the window. Up to £25million could be secured through the sale of Rhian Brewster, which may prove temporary if a buy-back clause is included. Clandestine progress may have been made on the futures of Harry Wilson and Marko Grujic, two talented players with limited prospects under Klopp. It was hoped that their sales would fetch around £40million altogether.
Indeed, such breakthroughs could explain why Liverpool are seemingly willing to spend another £35million on Wolves’ Diogo Jota (though Ki-Jana Hoever’s move the other way will reduce the fee to £25million in practice).
But what if there was fresh impetus from Klopp, who coveted Thiago’s signature? He would already have asked FSG President Mike Gordon to get the deal done if possible. Maybe he made it plainer than ever that he saw this transfer as essential to keeping Liverpool on their perch.
The need for re-energisation
It is tempting to link this to recent performances. Drawing any conclusions from Liverpool's form in the dead-rubbers which concluded their title-winning campaign could be unwise.
But, as they were beaten by Arsenal in the Community Shield and as they scraped past newly-promoted Leeds with the aid of a last-ditch penalty, Liverpool looked decent but also in need of invigoration.
The mental strength of this group of players has never been in doubt, but equally you could forgive a slight weariness after they dug so very deep to end the three-decade title drought which had brought so much anguish.
This kind of deal can energise a dressing room, according to the pundits who spent their careers at the top. And that may already be manifesting itself at Melwood.
“All the boys were talking about it,” a source close to the players told The Athletic. “A signing like this gives everyone a boost. It shows that the club really mean business and extra competition for places puts even more hunger in the squad.
“We’re talking about an elite player who has won loads of trophies and can really make a big difference on the field.”
For a team that relies so much on its enthusiasm in its play, this newfound buzz could be invaluable.
And, on another note, the difficulties Liverpool faced against the resurgent Gunners and a fearless side up from the second division illustrated the extent of their task. Manchester City are widely expected to post a points tally befitting of their quality this time around and Chelsea have remodelled half of their team with a Playstation window. But there has been ambitious business up and down the league. As a whole, it is stronger than ever.
In these circumstances, Liverpool were cast as vulnerable, as the hunted.
But do not underestimate the potential importance of the transfer that was confirmed on Thursday. Now Klopp’s rallying cry – ‘we will attack the title rather than defend it’ – can truly be expected to bear out on the pitch.
“To write the next chapter we have actually to create a new story,” the manager told supporters in the wake of the announcement. “And for a new story you need new actors.”