As Liverpool confirmed the signing of Naby Keita in 2017, Jürgen Klopp expressed his delight: "I’ve got lots of contacts in Germany and I’ve never got so many congratulations messages after we signed him. He is the best player in the league. Last year together with Thiago Alcantara they were the best in the league." Three years later, Klopp is able to pick Keita and Thiago side by side for the champions of England. Thiago's artistry on the field well as his talent for recovering the ball and transitioning play from defence to attack in an instant is a potent weapon for Liverpool to have. He will be able to fit seamlessly into the English league relying on his experience playing 336 games at the very top for Barcelona and Bayern Munich. Thiago has also excelled for the Spanish national team, representing not his country of birth, Italy, nor the homeland of his parents, Brazil, but the country where he became a professional footballer and received his education at the famed La Masia. Thiago's father, Mazinho, has 35 caps for Brazil and his brother, Rafinha, at Barcelona, has earned two caps for Brazil as well.
When Pep Guardiola took over Bayern in 2013, he had one request: "I spoke to the club and told them about my concept and told them why I want Thiago. He is the only player that I want. It will be him or no one." Thiago followed his mentor to Germany where he won the Bundesliga in each of his seven seasons and lifted the Champions League trophy in his final game. Hansi Flick, Bayern's coach wished Thiago well for his new adventure and confirmed his high status and popularity: "It was very emotional as we said goodbye. I can only congratulate Liverpool as they got a great player and especially a great person. Thiago gave the team a lot of options and made us unpredictable, he solved things in ways you don’t expect." Thiago's unpredictability will be an important asset for Klopp to have as their rivals try to dethrone the champions. Thiago made his first appearance in a red shirt on 20th September 2020, coming on as a half time substitute for the injured Jordan Henderson.
