Liverpool know they have a significant summer ahead of them. Some might even label it a critical juncture in the club’s modern history.
Arne Slot has done ever so well at Anfield this season, steering Liverpool toward the brink of the Premier League title. It’s not wrapped up, but the Reds’ 13-point lead is surely unassailable at this late stage.
But the 2025/26 campaign will be here in a jiffy, and it’s clear that Liverpool need to embellish Slot’s first-team squad with attractive new bits, for Liverpool have scarcely dipped into the transfer market since Jurgen Klopp completed his midfield rebuild with the signing of Ryan Gravenberch in August 2023.
Klopp’s long-standing midfield had eroded away during the 2022/23 season, finally succumbing to years of unrelenting pressure, high-octane pace hitting like whipping breakers against a rocky coastline.
That erosion saw Jordan Henderson and Fabinho sold to the Saudi Pro League after Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner all departed at the end of their contracts. It was an exodus, all right, but one which needed to happen.
There was another midfielder who actually survived the wipeout; he bore the highest quality of them all, but all things considered Thiago Alcantara perhaps needed to move on more than the rest, his natural talent overruled by a shoddy fitness record on Merseyside.
Thiago's time at Liverpool
In 2020, Premier League winners Liverpool needed to consolidate their position at the top of the English and European pyramids.
What better statement of intent than to sign one of the game’s foremost midfielders? Bayern Munich were paid £20m and Thiago made the move to Merseyside, with Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Diogo Jota soon to follow.
One of the most technically gifted players of his generation, Thiago was regarded as a major coup for Klopp’s title-winning side, giving them something different in the middle of the park as Gini Wijnaldum’s contract wound down.
However, injuries had been his undoing in the past and the intensity of Klopp’s system and the rigorousness of the Premier League limited this wonderful footballer to little more than a small part role, influential and inspiring when on the grass but finding such time limited.
23/24
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5′
22/23
18 (14)
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1,256′
21/22
25 (17)
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20/21
24 (20)
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1,858′
As you can see above, Thiago’s involvement in the Premier League was always a frustrating thing, his body effectively shutting down during his final year, Klopp’s final year, and was forced into an early retirement.
Thiago had European pedigree, to be sure, but Liverpool missed a trick with his signing. The diminutive maestro earned a staggering salary at £200k per week, something which was bettered only by Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah. A figure only they surpass still.
Barcelona and Bayern had reaped the richest harvest of Thiago’s skill set, but he arrived at Liverpool too late in his career, already worn down by years of hard graft on the continent.
Now, Liverpool find that they are suffering their new version of the distinguished Spaniard, and though he’s shown flashes of quality, would do well to be sold this summer.
Liverpool's new version of Thiago
Though Klopp left Liverpool in fine stead as Slot stepped in to replace him, there’s no doubting that frustrations simmered online as FSG opted against investment last summer.
Well, there was a mite of activity on that front. In August, after efforts to sign Martin Zubimendi fell short, the Reds completed the signing of Juventus’ Federico Chiesa for a cut-price £12.5m fee.
Hero at Wembley as Italy won Euro 2020 and established as one of the standout forwards on the Italian scene, Chiesa was hailed as “world-class” by ex-Italy defender Alessandro Pierini.
But injuries have indeed wrecked much of the talent’s football over the past several years, and while moving to Liverpool last summer felt like a fresh slate, it’s unfortunate to report that Slot has not been won over and he’s sat largely on the sidelines.
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Champions League
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FA Cup
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120′
Carabao Cup
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135′
Minutes have been sparse, especially in the Premier League. Chiesa, for sure, has a lot of quality and has showcased as such against Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final, but it doesn’t appear to have been enough.
A poor track record on the fitness front – which hurt his early progress at Anfield, set him back from the off – suggests that Chiesa might actually be Liverpool’s new version of Thiago, especially since he arrived with bucket loads of European pedigree.
The £150k-per-week forward also earns quite the pretty penny and it’s difficult to argue that his role in the squad justifies such earnings. Again, like Thiago.
Though Liverpool wouldn’t claim the largest sum for his sale this summer, it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world, not least because plans are already being drawn to bring in fresh faces up top.
It’s hard to imagine Chiesa will win Slot over and dance into the forthcoming season with a view toward starting more often or not. But observers have been wrong before.
However, given that Liverpool’s boss has been loathe to unleash his Italian forward this season and is now gearing up to strengthen an already formidable frontline with several new parts, you worry for Chiesa’s future – or his personal success on Merseyside at the least.
Oh, Salah’s sticking around too, isn’t he? Chiesa is a talented and versatile winger, but he earns quite the pretty penny and has an injury record to strike fear into young, up-and-coming talents.
It might be best for all parties that Liverpool cash in this summer, especially if a youngster like Ben Doak is integrated into the firt team next season.
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