Thought Thiago would have been more suited to Manchester United’s team, admits Paul Scholes

While both Manchester United and Liverpool fought to try and sign Thiago Alcantara over the summer, it was the Reds who won that race for the Bayern Munich midfielder. A meagre £20 million fee for arguably one of the best midfielders in the world saw Jurgen Klopp’s side bring him to England but things haven’t gone according to plan. A positive for the coronavirus early in his Liverpool career combined with a knee injury saw Thiago most of the first half of the season. 

But even when fit, many have claimed that Thiago has slowed down Liverpool in the final-third which has lead to the club’s struggles this season. It has seen Paul Scholes admit that the 29-year-old doesn’t suit Liverpool’s style of play as he isn’t a “Jurgen Klopp type player”. The Premier League legend further added that Thiago would have been “more suited to a Manchester United team” instead.

"The way Liverpool play with the three in midfield, I don’t think he has great legs about him, so that central role would suit him down to the ground. Once you are in a wider position in the three, it’s very difficult to get around the pitch because he’s not that type of player. He just needs to be sat in the middle. Controlling things, bringing players into play and that’s what he’s good at – I just wonder if this way of playing that Liverpool play is suited to his style of football.

"He doesn’t seem a Jurgen Klopp type player, does he? You think of the midfield players he has got and the forward players. Everything is 100 miles per hour.

"I thought he would have been more suited to a Manchester United team. In a two in midfield with a holding player, really good strong defensive player, where he can sit and control games. Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool, I don’t see them controlling games. I see them going for the throat in teams. He hasn’t got that energy to really overpower midfield players,” he added.