FSG are right to ditch Liverpool flop who earns more than Trent

Jurgen Klopp’s final season as Liverpool manager has ended in disappointing fashion. Despite Carabao Cup success in February, the Reds failed to win any of the other three competitions that they were involved in.

In the Premier League, Liverpool will finish third, after a messy run of form ended their title hopes, with Manchester City in the box seat to win a fourth consecutive league title. Klopp’s side can, at most, end on 82 points this season.

Liverpool were knocked out of the Europa League in disappointing fashion to Atalanta, who overcame them across the two legs. In fact, the Italian side are now set to meet Bayer Leverkusen in the final, hoping to spoil their incredible unbeaten season.

Manchester United knocked the Reds out of the FA Cup, beating them in one of the most incredible cup ties of all time. A late winner in the dying embers of extra time from Ivorian Amad Diallo was enough to send Liverpool home.

With a summer of change coming up at Anfield, what with Klopp and assistant manager Pep Lijnders’ departure, and Arne Slot’s pending appointment, it could well be the end of several players’ time at the club. In particular, one classy midfielder could be on his way out of Anfield.

Liverpool star set to leave the club

The player in question here is elegant Spanish midfielder Thiago. He joined the club from Bayern Munich in 2020, for a fee of £20m plus £5m in potential add-ons. However, after four years in Merseyside, he will depart this summer.

This was confirmed by The Atheltic journalist James Pearce last week, who discussed in an article that 33-year-old Thiago “will leave as a free agent when his contract expires this summer.”

As for his destination, Saudi Arabian clubs could well battle it out for Thiago’s signature this summer. Football Insider have explained that a move to Saudi is his “most likely destination”, although a return to his native Spain could also be on the cards.

Indeed, Thiago’s time at Liverpool has been clouded by injuries. This season, he has played a single game in all competitions, making a fleeting five-minute appearance off the bench against Arsenal in the Premier League.

He has played 98 times for the Reds in total, scoring three and assisting six. Yet, he has missed an astonishing 129 games due to eight injuries and contracting COVID, which has kept him out for a total of 659 days.

Thiago’s wage in 2024

Given the sheer number of injuries he has suffered, it will no doubt be frustrating for Liverpool to have had such an exceptional player like Thiago unavailable for such a long period of time. Not only that, he is one of the top earners at the club.

According to Capology, there are only two players who earn more than the £200k-per-week that Thiago is on; Mohamed Salah, the club’s highest earner, who takes home £350k-per-week, and Virgil van Dijk, who receives £220k-per-week. Indeed, Thiago earns more than Liverpool stars including Trent Alexander-Arnold, who is on £180k per week, and Alisson, who earns £150k per week.

That’s pretty staggering, particularly in Alexander-Arnold’s case. Having captained Liverpool this season at various stages, he is the future under Slot and having supplied 19 assists in the last two seasons, deserves a little more cash.

That said, Liverpool fans must surely view it as a real shame Thiago’s move to Liverpool was ravaged by injuries so much; he is a classy midfielder, who would have lit up the Premier League had he been fully fit.

Given the change of era at Liverpool, and the reports that Thiago will leave the club at the end of the season, it is certainly something that seems inevitable.

Incoming manager Slot will no doubt want to stamp his own identity onto the side. That could see the likes of Thiago, and potentially some other big earners, depart the club for pastures anew. FSG and Co are making the right decision by not renewing his terms at Anfield.