"Great player at Liverpool" - Xabi Alonso on Thiago Alcantara

Former Liverpool player Xabi Alonso has praised Reds midfielder Thiago Alcantara.

The club signed Thiago from Bayern Munich for a transfer fee of £19.80 million back in the summer of 2020.

Since then, the Spaniard has only made 72 appearances for Liverpool's first-team. Thiago has picked up a number of injuries during his time at Anfield, which has obviously impacted his availability.

However, Alonso, who played with the 31-year-old at Bayern Munich, believes that his former teammate has still been a good signing for the Reds.

As quoted by Anfield Watch on Twitter, he told the club's official website the following: "We talked a lot that summer (2020) because he was thinking about the option. I said, 'Thiago, you love football, you're in a great club, you're in Bayern and you've achieved great things, but Liverpool is pure football'.

"(I said) 'You're going to enjoy it as much as you have done. If you feel it's the right moment for a new chapter, you won't get better places than Liverpool'.

"You could see that he's a different player. He's a different talent because he's competitive but at the same time he has those magic Brazilian actions that are not that European.

"He's competitive but he can do different things. He was a great player at Bayern and he continues being consistent and being a great player at Liverpool."

Anfield Watch Verdict

We agree with Alonso.  Thiago is a terrific footballer. There is a reason why the Spaniard has played for the likes of Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Barcelona.

However, we have not seen the best of Thiago at Anfield, and that is simply because of injuries.

We are hoping that the 31-year-old can stay fit from here on in. Thiago is contracted until the summer of 2024.

He has plenty of time left to leave his mark on the club.