Liverpool midfielder Thiago could decide to leave the club during the current transfer window, according to a massive update regarding his future at Anfield.
How old is Thiago?
The Spaniard, who is now 32 years of age, joined the Reds from Bayern Munich back in 2020, in what was seen as a hugely exciting piece of business, given his reputation as a world-class midfielder.
The hope was that Thiago would add a new dimension to Liverpool's team, making them even more of a force, having just won the Premier League title at a canter.
While the veteran has undoubtedly been an important figure at times, producing some superb performances along the way, ongoing injury problems have ultimately defined his time on Merseyside to date. He was limited to just 14 league starts last season, for example, proving to be unavailable at a time when the Reds desperately needed him on the pitch.
Thiago's current Liverpool expires next summer, so the club will know that they risk losing him for free at that point, with an extension highly unlikely, given his age. There is also the option of selling him this summer, although that doesn't seem likely, considering Fabinho and Jordan Henderson are close to leaving already.
Could Thiago leave Liverpool?
According to Sport [via Sport Witness], Thiago "values" and "seriously appreciates" the idea of a new challenge moving forward, suggesting he could depart the Reds. A return to Spain is mooted, but he has "turned a deaf ear" to any interest from Saudi Arabia as he wants to reignite his career in another top league.
There is no doubt that the Spain international's time at Liverpool has been frustrating overall, because of his lack of playing time, but he remains a wonderful footballer who is arguably one of the first names on the team sheet when fit and firing. For that reason, the Reds should aim to retain his services for another year, accepting that he will leave for free when his contract runs out in 2024.
Thiago could even be treated as something of a luxury player next season, with any time on the pitch almost seen as a bonus, and the likes of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai brought in as more trusted and available options.
Players of his ilk don't come along too often, in terms of his ability to dictate matches from midfield and producing endless line-breaking passes – he even averaged 2.4 tackles per game in the Premier League last season, showing that he is far more than just someone who is effective on the ball.
The fact that Jurgen Klopp has hailed Thiago as "sensational" outlines what the manager thinks of him, and he would surely not want him to leave as well this summer, considering Fabinho and Henderson are off, while James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all departed when their contracts expired at the end of June.
That would simply be too much change in the middle of the park, and would arguably mean that another three new midfield signings need to come, which could make for too great a transition in that area of the pitch.
