A Liverpool player has been told to sign for Man City or Arsenal this summer in a very strange comment made by former player Didi Hamann.
Liverpool’s Thiago Alcântara has been advised to consider joining one of the club’s Premier League rivals Manchester City or Arsenal, while Jürgen Klopp continues to explore midfield options in the summer transfer market.
The Spanish midfielder, who arrived at Liverpool in 2020, has shown him tremendous talent in patches, but has also been hampered by injuries and questions about his compatibility with Klopp’s intense style of play.
Despite the departure of several Liverpool midfielders this summer, including Jordan Henderson, Fabinho and Naby Keita, the Reds’ former Champions League winner Dietmar Hamann believes Thiago should seek his opportunities elsewhere. Hamann also expressed concerns about Thiago’s playing time should Liverpool sign another major midfield signing.
“I’ve never been a big fan of Thiago,” he told Lord Ping. “He has way too many injuries and couldn’t join the Liverpool team last season when he was fit and there was a lot less competition in his position. If someone else comes along like Moisés Caicedo, Roméo Lavia or Aurélien Tchouaméni, then that’s it. The competition will be very tough.”
Hamann added: “Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott and Stefan Bajčetić, who will all need minutes, will also return for Liverpool. I don’t think Thiago will play too much next season, even though he is fit.
“I’m sure there are clubs interested in Thiago. If he stays in the Premier League, he must join a top four team that have a lot of possession, such as Man City or Arsenal. The more ball possession you have, the better Thiago plays. He’s not the best player without possession, maybe there’s a market in Spain too.
“He was a decent player, not a ‘great’ player for Liverpool as some have said. The physicality of the Premier League influenced him.”
With just a year left on his contract, The Telegraph reported a month ago that Liverpool were open to allowing Thiago to complete his contract and leave next summer. The club are actively refreshing their midfield options with the arrival of new faces including Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai at the start of the transfer window.
Hamann’s comments on Thiago haven’t always been met with a positive response. Following Liverpool’s loss to Real Madrid in the 2022 Champions League final, Hamann slammed the Spaniard saying: “For me he is one of the most overrated players in European football.”
According to Athletic, Klopp wasn’t particularly happy with his fellow German and responded to Hamann’s criticism at press conferences by expressing his disapproval of the former player’s views. In one instance, Klopp sarcastically called Hamann a “fantastic source” and added: “He’s respected everywhere!”
On Hamann’s connections with Anfield, Klopp said: “It doesn’t give you the right to say what you want, especially when you have no idea.”
