Jurgen Klopp is planning on Thiago Alcantara being at Liverpool this season – and has told the experienced Spaniard he has an important role to play in guiding a young squad. Thiago has been the subject of interest from Saudi Arabia this summer with reports this week claiming Al-Ahli – one of the clubs in which Newcastle United majority shareholders PIF have invested this summer – are set to lodge a £10.3million bid. Liverpool, though, have not yet received any offers for the 32-year-old, who is in the last year of his contract with no discussion scheduled over an extension. Klopp has had talks with Thiago over his role in the forthcoming campaign, with the midfielder having returned to full training last weekend after more than three months out following an operation to resolve a long-term hip complaint. And of official interest in the player,
Jurgen Klopp said: “No, there is nothing. Honestly. Thiago is now training. Nobody asked. He came in and asked about his role and we spoke. Super experienced player, he stepped up in that department. He has only been in team training for a week but very vocal, he is going to be very helpful for us.”
Despite having joined less than three years ago, no midfielder in the squad has made more first-team appearances for Liverpool than Thiago. Liverpool saw a wealth of experience depart from the engine room in the summer, with skipper Jordan Henderson, vice-captain James Milner, Fabinho, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all gone. Between them they played 1,318 games for the Reds. From having one of the oldest midfields in the league, Liverpool now have one of the youngest. And asked if that would compromise hopes of challenging Manchester City for the title this season,
Jurgen Klopp said: “We will see. Now you ask, I did that years ago (with Borussia Dortmund, with whom he first won the Bundesliga in 2010/11)). I don’t care about age. We have already experience – in some parts not as much as other teams have maybe. Could we gain experience together? Yes. Could we gain it quickly? Maybe. At Dortmund, there was never an excuse that the two centre-halves were 19 (Neven Subotic and Mats Hummels were that age when signed). Yes. it was a completely different football time but 19 was 19. I don’t know but it is not too important. This kind of knowledge you will gain step by step through the season. What we have to do is win football games, to feel good, to build a good atmosphere in the club, all these kind of things. We have a not good year behind us and now we want a good year. It is about what is positive for us. Are we only happy if we challenge City immediately? Is that the only opportunity for us to be happy? Then we have a problem. But if we start loving the football the boys play we can get to that. We have a new start. That is how it is. We don’t want to pick up the football we played before, we have to create something new and that is what we are doing while we have to win football games. Where that leads to, I don’t know.”
