‘Most exciting signing’ Thiago and ‘best free transfer’ Matip

Thiago Alcantara remains the most exciting signing of Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool era.

When he arrived from Bayern Munich, he had just won the Champions League and was named man of the match in the final.

He was arguably the best midfielder on the planet and his performances for Liverpool did not suggest otherwise. The problem is: there simply weren’t enough of them because of injury after injury after injury.

Thiago was sent off on his debut for Liverpool against Evertonthe same game in which Virgil van Dijk tore his cruciate ligament.

There were periods when the mercurial Spaniard found form and fitness, but they never lasted long.

Liverpool fans, however, will always hold their performance against Manchester United in the 4-0 defeat at Anfield in 2022. It truly was one of the best and brightest midfield matches the stadium has ever seen.

Then you have Joel Matip – he is one of the best free transfers in Premier League history. He is physical, tall, brilliant in the air and even better with the ball.

The Reds ended up falling in love with the Cameroonian after a rocky start, and pairing him with Van Dijk certainly helped.

Like Thiago, injuries held Matip back – but he was a key figure in our Champions League and Premier League victories.

Fans will remember his ability to dribble from behind and make one of his clumsy but brilliant runs into the opposition box.

This summer, Liverpool will need a suitable defensive midfielder and a new defender to replace them.

Jordan Chamberlain can be found at Kop Empire