Ever since Friday morning, Liverpool Football Club has been completely turned on its head.
After Jurgen Klopp announced that he is to leave at the end of the season, suddenly everything surrounding the Reds feels uncertain, in limbo.
Up until last week, for example, it had seemed almost a done deal that Thiago Alcantara would leave when his contract expires in June. Rousing The Kop exclusively revealed that he could be on his way to join Lionel Messi at Inter Miami. Now, with a new manager coming in, who can say for sure what will happen.
One man who is usually pretty good at speaking with certainties where these things are concerned is journalist Fabrizio Romano. Writing in his Daily Briefing today though, even Romano couldn’t say exactly what will happen with Thiago. In all honesty though, it sounds a little more promising.
“It’s too early to say for now what will happen – if you don’t have a manager/director, no one is making these kinds of decisions,” Romano reports.
“We have to wait for new director and new manager in order for them to meet, discuss and decide on players’ futures including Thiago Alcantara. It was quiet so far on his contract extension, but now there will be new people in.”
Thiago waiting on manager decision
For whatever reason, we get the feeling that Thiago is actually keen on staying at Liverpool beyond the end of the season.
The 32-year-old has so far rejected any chance to leave the club before his contract finishes. He clearly hasn’t been ready to go.
Having not played at all this season just yet, we think Thiago might feel like he still has unfinished business at Liverpool.
Of course, that could change if he plays a meaningful part in any successes this season. But he may still feel that he has more to give beyond that.
In honesty, we’d absolutely love to see that. We still think the Spaniard is Liverpool’s best midfielder on paper and is a really positive influence in the dressing room besides.
If someone like Xabi Alonso comes in, for example, then you can see why it would appeal to Thiago to stick around and help that transition. Alonso and Thiago were teammates for three years at Bayern and with Spain, too.
The ultimate decision may well rest with Liverpool’s ownership. Thiago is on a huge wage and that would need to be rectified, especially if he continues to be unreliable in terms of fitness. But you could also see, say, Alonso taking the job on the provision that the Reds’ No.6 stays for a little while longer. It could happen.
This is no longer a given. Just like everything else at Liverpool since Friday, Thiago’s future is now up in the air.
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