Jurgen Klopp wasn’t the only man saying goodbye to Liverpool last weekend, with Joel Matip and Thiago Alcantara also departing Anfield following the end of the 2023/24 season.
The latter is already a man in demand according to reports from Spain, albeit in a different role from what he’s had over the last few years.
AS claimed that Barcelona are seeking to bring the 33-year-old back to Camp Nou and have made contact to that effect, but this time as an assistant coach to incoming boss Hansi Flick, who he knows very well from their shared time at Bayern Munich.
The LaLiga giants are hoping that Thiago can act as an intermediary between the manager and playing squad, and his fluency in both Spanish and German should prove very beneficial in that regard, as should his well-respected ‘football presence’ from his achievements and qualities as a player.
However, the Catalan club may end up being thwarted in their efforts to hire him, as previous contact with his representatives hasn’t been encouraging.
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Thiago’s playing career has unfortunately taken a major setback over the past year, with a mere five minutes of first-team football played since the end of April 2022 due to persistent injury problems (Transfermarkt).
Having only turned 33 last month, the midfielder should by right have a few more years left as a player, but it could be rather difficult for him to rediscover his previous levels after being sidelined for so long.
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A transition into coaching now seems the natural path for a man who Glen Johnson described as ‘one of the best footballers around’ and talkSPORT’s Adrian Durham claimed to have taken Liverpool ‘from heavy metal to lift music’ due to his graceful presence in the middle of the park.
A genius of a footballer who’s won 32 trophies at club level, including 11 league titles and two Champions Leagues (Transfermarkt), Thiago would undoubtedly have an enormous catalogue of knowledge to impart should he begin working as a coach.
He should also readily command respect from the current Barcelona squad, who would’ve seen him sparkle across Europe over the past decade and more.
If he’s indeed hired as one of Flick’s backroom staff at Camp Nou, the LaLiga giants will have pulled off what looks a tremendous coup.
