Hansi Flick has hailed Thiago Alcantara to the high heavens after his Bayern Munich ace was linked with Liverpool, telling Goal that the ‘extraordinary’ Spain international remains a huge part of his plans at Bayern Munich.
We really are living in a statistics world.
But if you are, like most of us, infuriated by the constant desire to dilute the beautiful game and all it’s nuances into a spreadsheet full of numbers and figures, then Thiago is the player for you.
The former Barcelona youngster has three goals and a grand total of zero assists in 24 Bundesliga games this season.
Though avid Bundesliga fanatics will tell you that you’d only need one hand to count all the midfielders more influential and technically gifted than this modern-day Bayern Munich legend.
Why else would FC Hollywood be desperate to tie one of their leading men down to a new contract amid interest from newly-crowned Premier League champions Liverpool?
BILD claims that Jurgen Klopp would pay £45 million for Thiago’s signature with his current deal due to expire in 12 months. But, as Flick points out, not all smoke is followed by a fire.
“I see him every day at practice and at the games. There are always so-called experts who have their own opinions.
“When you see him on the pitch and in training, you see his extraordinary quality in possession of the ball,” the Bayern coach says.
“But he has now also shown that he can play against the ball. For me there are no two opinions about Thiago’s quality.
“He gives the team a little something extra. He is an exceptional player who gives a team that certain something. That’s my opinion and there is no other one.”
Of course, unless Bayern can agree an extension, then they may be forced to cash in.
The German giants might have deeper pockets than most but even they cannot afford to let a £45 million-rated footballer leave for nothing.
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