With the first international break of the season over and done with, attention turns back to the Premier League. Liverpool enter Saturday’s game against a struggling Wolves as favourites. However, Jürgen Klopp’s side will have to overcome their early kick-off hoodoo, having failed to win a single Saturday lunchtime fixture last season.
The Reds were overrun at Molyneux in February, losing 3-0 in one of their worst performances in recent years. Their new-look midfield will be hoping to put in a much-improved display this time around.
One of the club’s few remaining experienced midfielders has denied suggestions of a possible move away from Anfield. Thiago Alcântara was linked with a switch to Trabzonspor, but his agent quashed the rumours on the last day of the Turkish transfer window.
With no spaces remaining for non-homegrown players in LFC’s Premier League squad, there was a suggestion that Thiago could be sold to make way for the arrival of Fluminense star André in January. With the Spain international now set to stay, will this affect the club’s winter transfer plans?
On the latest episode of our Journo Insight show, we asked experienced LFC journalist Neil Jones for his take on Thiago and André.
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Neil said:
[On Thiago]
“He’s into the last year of his contract. It doesn’t feel like he’s in a desperate rush to leave Liverpool. Maybe go to Saudi Arabia or somewhere next summer as a free agent.
“There’s excitement isn’t there, at the idea of Thiago – anything like his best – with Mac Allister and Szoboszlai, Gravenberch, with this forward line that Liverpool have got firing at the moment.
“I think if Liverpool were going to sell him, I would suggest that they would have done it already by now.”
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[On André]
“There’s definitely interest. The question you’d have is – that would be five midfielders in a row, and Liverpool only play with three.
“It would feel like, ‘Wow!’ We’ve been talking about a midfield revolution. That is a hell of a midfield revolution. You bring in five midfielders in the space of six months.
“They clearly like the player. I think his age and his experience fits in Liverpool’s zone. He’s an interesting profile. He’s a very much a destroying-type midfielder, young, that can be moulded into a pretty interesting player – already played for Brazil.
“I think there’s definitely something in the story that Liverpool are interested in André. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they re-emerge as suitors for him.
“There are still some bits to figure out, quite exciting bits, I would suggest. We’ll see what develops with André and January. It wouldn’t amaze me if Liverpool were in that mix.”
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Redmen Reacts
With Thiago set to stay, hopefully, he can regain full fitness and sprinkle his magic on select matches, rather than be relied upon as a starting midfielder. He is amongst the most technically gifted players to represent the club and should be able to shine alongside younger, more athletic players.
Speaking of athletic players, links between Liverpool and André have persisted despite the club signing Ryan Gravenberch on transfer deadline day. He ticks a lot of boxes as a long-term Fabinho replacement, but questions remain as to whether or not Jürgen Klopp feels his side needs a specialist number six to start week in, week out. Alexis Mac Allister has performed well in the role, and with Wataru Endō and Stefan Bajčetić in competition for places, perhaps any January transfer funds should be spent on a young defender. The manager was slow to bring in midfield additions last summer as he did not want to minimise game time for the players already at the club. If André is to arrive in the new year, there will need to be some rejigging of the squad to fit him in.
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