Liverpool have an 'unbelievable footballer' in Thiago Alcantara, who is second best in his position in the Premier League, according to Paul Merson.
The former Arsenal star, turned Sky Sports pundit, ranked his top five midfielders currently playing in the Premier League for his latest Sportskeeda column. And after selecting Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne as his number one choice, ex-England international Merson picked Spanish international Thiago as his second choice.
The decorated former Barcelona and Bayern Munich star joined Jurgen Klopp's side in September 2020 and after an initial slow start that was hampered by injuries, has gone on to become one of the most important players in the Reds' starting XI.
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Writing in his column, Merson said: “Thiago Alcantara is an unbelievable footballer, he’s a class act. When he doesn’t play, Liverpool are a completely and utterly different team and we’ve seen that a handful of times already this season. When he first joined, there was a lot of talk that he slowed Liverpool down a little, but after he adapted to the pace of the Premier League, there’s been no stopping him!
“I just like the way he plays and moves – he’s always looking forward and is more than comfortable with playing one-touch football when the situation calls for it. I like players who see things on the football pitch before they happen and he’s one of them, which is why I’m such a big fan of him.
“People might be a bit surprised with Thiago’s inclusion at #2, but this is how I see the game and I genuinely believe that this guy is a special player. We’re talking about a world-class player who makes such a huge difference to a team like Liverpool – we saw it first-hand against Ajax when he started the game and absolutely ran the show for his team. These lists are obviously very subjective and could change every week, but Thiago is a player I’ve always rated over the years.”
Liverpool's number six is one of the most decorated footballers in European football, winning four La Liga titles with Barcelona and a further seven Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich. He has also won the Champions League with both clubs.
The son of the Brazilian 1994 World Cup winner Mazinho, Thiago joined Barcelona at the age of 14. Now aged 31, he has 46 caps for Spain, despite being born in Italy to Brazilian parents.
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