It doesn’t appear to be too often that Jurgen Klopp doesn’t get his own way at Liverpool, however, the German may have to accede to the wishes of the club over one player he’s described as “world class.”
The Reds have started off the 2023/24 Premier League season brilliantly, and head into Saturday evening’s English top-flight classic against Tottenham Hotspur looking to keep pace with leaders Man City, who play earlier in the day at Wolves.
Despite the upheaval of losing the likes of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, James Milner, Naby Keita, Jordan Henderson and Roberto Firmino, Klopp has managed to regroup and get his side singing to his tune once more.
It’s quite the turnaround from the 2022/23 campaign when Liverpool were largely disappointing.
During that season Thiago Alcantara started only 14 games according to 90Min, and he hasn’t played any part so far in the current campaign owing to a hip injury sustained in April
Despite evidently being so injury prone, Klopp believes the 32-year-old is worth a contract extension, though it seems that others at Anfield aren’t in agreement.
“You don’t have five million players like this on the planet – only a few who see things earlier than anyone else and have the technical ability to not only see it but get the ball there as well,” Klopp is quoted as saying by 90Min.
“He is a world-class player. He can be pretty dangerous with and without the ball so, from our point of view, there is really nothing to moan about. Football is outstanding, but his counter-pressing was mad. That makes the full package. I couldn’t respect it more.”
Whilst it’s true that Liverpool are an entirely different proposition with the midfielder in situ, Klopp would be ill-advised to disrupt a winning team at this point.
Easing Thiago back into the picture would be preferable, and perhaps a review of his contract situation later in the campaign would be the right option.