Why Thiago is the ideal fit to complete Liverpool's midfield

Liverpool missed out on Timo Werner, and with it, the chance to improve their frontline. That said, would the German have been the ideal fit for Jurgen Klopp's side? Everyone knows how Klopp wants his number nine to play and Werner just doesn't offer the same work rate and willingness to drop deep as Roberto Firmino. 

Granted, the Reds would have had an additional approach in the final third - they have scored 70 league goals this season, a return bettered only by Manchester City (81) - but if it ain't broke, why fix it? Rather, a lack of cutting edge from midfield has been problematic for the Premier League winners. It may not have been exposed in league action, yet it's an issue for Klopp and one he'll hopefully have rectified this summer. 

Naby Keita was supposed to be the missing link for Liverpool's midfield, yet a series of injury issues has hindered his impact on Merseyside. Keita has proven in his sporadic outings that he has the requisite tools to succeed for Liverpool, but those appearances are few and far between. An injury prone midfielder may hardly ease Klopp's Keita worries, yet when a player of Thiago's calibre comes on the market, it's impossible to pass up the opportunity to sign him. 

"Thiago is a great guy, on and off the pitch. We were negotiating seriously with him and we complied with everything he asked, but it seems that he is looking to do something new in the final part of his career," Bayern supremo Karl-Heinz Rummenigge confirmed recently. Hansi Flick is hopeful Thiago will remain at the club, yet with a year to run on his current Bayern deal and hopes of a new challenge elsewhere; the Bundesliga giants are better off selling now rather than losing him on a free next year. 

Liverpool may face competition from elsewhere for the Spain international, yet they are believed to be in the driving seat to land Thiago and, in this Reds midfield, he'd offer a fresh, dynamic approach from midfield. That's not to say Liverpool's midfield is in dire need of rejuvantion, far from it in fact. The most used trio of Georginio Wijnaldum, Fabinho and Jordan Henderson may not be world beaters on paper, yet they work excellently in tandem and the three unassuming midfielders work tirelessly on and off the ball to allow the full-backs to press forward, safe in the knowledge the defence is protected. 

The issue is that when Liverpool are having an off day and finding it hard to break a low block, something that became evident in their Champions League meetings with Atletico Madrid, then they require an additional body in midfield to push on and help pry apart a staunch backline. This is where Thiago comes into play. The 29-year-old may not have been at his creative best for this all conquering Bayern side - he failed to register an assist in the Bundesliga this season from an average of just one key pass per 90 - but it's the drive he offers from deep that is an appealing trait. 

Liverpool's five main central midfielders - Fabinho, Henderson, Wijnaldum, Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain - have completed just 96 dribbles between them in the Premier League this season, a figure that drops to 87 when factoring in Oxlade-Chamberlain's starts from central midfield only. Conversely, Thiago completed 71 in the Bundesliga this season, despite injuries restricting him to just 20 league starts. 

Meanwhile, of the 297 players to attempt 50 or more dribbles, only Thomas Partey (88.3%) and Mateo Kovacic (86.6%) have a better dribble success rate than Thiago (85.5%) in Europe's top five leagues this season. As one might expect, Thiago is deemed to be Very Strong at 'dribbling'. Liverpool, meanwhile, don't boast a strength of 'Creating chances through individual skill', which suggests a quality that is currently found wanting at Anfield. 

As mentioned, Thiago hasn't been a creative force for this Bayern side, but he has been vital in getting his side on the front foot. In a Liverpool outfit that has had the second most possession (59.3%), this is vital to adding another dimension to the Reds offensive. Using the attacking output of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson from full-back has clearly been an effective route to goal for Liverpool this season, while Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane have once more been exceptional in the final third, but it's the lack of thrust from central areas that has been a concern for the champions on occasion. 

And if Thiago does sign - it's worth noting, that remains 'if' at this time - then his capture would address a worry for Klopp and Liverpool. If he can stay fit, then the midfielder is the perfect addition to this title winning side and will only see the strongest get stronger ahead of next season's title defence.