With just over a month remaining of the 2023/24 season, the curtain will soon come down on Jurgen Klopp’s reign as Liverpool manager, and some members of his current squad could be following him out the door.

Adrian, Joel Matip and Thiago Alcantara all see their contracts expire this summer, and the latter’s exit now seems inevitable judging by a recent report.

According to Football Insider, the midfielder has instructed his agent to find him a new club, with the 33-year-old unlikely to be offered an extension at Anfield due to his persistent injury problems.

The former Spain international is determined not to retire at this early age, instead seeking to continue his career elsewhere.

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It’s been an almighty shame that a player of Thiago’s phenomenal ability has been reduced to the periphery at Liverpool due to his seemingly never-ending injury problems.

He was a tremendous coup when we signed him in a £25m deal in autumn 2020 just one month after he won the Champions League with Bayern Munich, and moments such as his scintillating 25-yard goal against Porto in November 2021 will ensure that he’s fondly remembered by Reds fans.

Unfortunately, his body has continued to let him down, with the 33-year-old playing just five minutes all season, a cameo appearance towards the end of the 3-1 defeat to Arsenal in February (Transfermarkt).

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With just a few weeks remaining on his £200,000-per-week contract (Capology), and having proven unreliable in terms of his fitness, it’s impossible to make a case for Liverpool offering him fresh terms.

Thiago seems to know that himself, hence his reported instruction to his agent to look for a club who might take him on after he departs Merseyside.

It doesn’t feel right that such a distinguished player will slip out the back door at Anfield, but such is the hand that he’s been cruelly dealt. Hopefully he can enjoy an Indian summer elsewhere; goodness know he’s due a change of luck soon.

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Thiago Alcantara’s return to the training pitch may come sooner than we initially expected.

The Spanish international has been sidelined for much of the 2023/24 campaign, sustaining a fresh muscle issue in a brief cameo against Arsenal back in February.

If his latest snaps on Instagram are any indication, however, we’ll hopefully be treated to the sight of the technical wizard back on the Anfield turf before the season is out.

What an addition he would be amid our title charge!

You can catch the photos below, courtesy of Thiago’s official Instagram account:

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Thiago Alcantara appears to be nearing the exit door at Anfield amid interest from Italy.

The Spanish international – whose Liverpool contract expires at the end of the season – is understood be the subject of intrigue for both Inter Milan and Juventus, according to Fichajes (via CaughtOffside).

It currently seems unlikely that the 32-year-old (whom Jurgen Klopp once dubbed ‘sensational’, as relayed by footballfancast) will have his termx extended on Merseyside.

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Is Thiago Alcantara leaving?

Barring a set of circumstances where our next manager takes a shining to the veteran midfielder, Thiago seems destined to depart.

We’re hopeful that he’ll have at least some part to play in the remainder of the campaign. Either way, it’s a huge shame that such a talented footballer has been unable to have much of an impact on the current season.

The ex-Bayern Munich man has been out for the vast majority of the year (barring a brief cameo against Arsenal).

It’s not exactly how we envisaged our No.6 winding down to the last few months of his contract.

Whatever comes next for our midfield technician, of course, we wish him nothing but the best.

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Jurgen Klopp has hinted at the sobering possibility that one member of his current Liverpool squad might never play under the German again.

The 56-year-old will depart at the end of this season, with the final three months of his reign now underway, and one player might be precluded from having any involvement in that poignant home stretch of the campaign.

Speaking to the media this afternoon ahead of the FA Cup match against Southampton on Wednesday night (via Liverpool Echo), the Reds manager confirmed that ‘there is no timescale’ on when Thiago Alcanatara might return from his ongoing thigh injury.

When asked whether the 32-year-old would play again this term, Klopp conceded: “I don’t know. It’s not that he might be in training in two weeks. I can’t say more about it.”

READ MORE: ‘We need miracles…’ – Klopp doesn’t sugarcoat Liverpool’s injury situation ahead of FA Cup clash

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It’s a crying shame that Thiago’s time at Liverpool appears to be petering out to an anticlimactic end, considering how gifted a footballer he is.

Having only just returned from more than nine months out injured in the closing minutes of the defeat to Arsenal earlier this month, the 32-year-old broke down again prior to the following match against Burnley, and there’s a strong possibility that we might never see him in a red shirt again.

He turns 33 in April and his contract expires in the summer; and with the midfielder earning an eye-watering £200,000 per week (Capology), the chances of LFC committing to new terms for an ageing player who’s barely featured over the past year seem remote.

We can only hope that Thiago might be able to play even a small role on the pitch for Liverpool before Klopp says his final goodbye in May. It’d be what the Spaniard deserves, considering how brilliant he’d been in his first couple of years at Anfield after his move from Bayern Munich in 2020.

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Jurgen Klopp has admitted the injury sustained to Thiago Alcantara during the defeat to Arsenal is ‘not good news’ but is hopeful the Spaniard will play for Liverpool again before the end of the season.

The 32-year-old returned from a nine-month absence last weekend at the Emirates when he was introduced as a late substitute but Paul Joyce of The Times revealed yesterday that the former Bayern Munich man had picked up yet another injury.

With the Spain international’s current deal running until the end of the season there were concerns that the midfielder had played his last game in a red shirt.

Our German tactician was asked about our No. 6’s injury in his press conference earlier today, where he confirmed the ‘muscle issue’ is ‘not cool’ (as quoted by the ECHO’s Paul Gorst on X).

"Thiago is not cool. He showed a lot of things on LFCTV and looked outstanding, so we took him, let him play for a few minutes. It's a muscle issue, we don't know the extent yet but it's not cool. Not good news for him or us."https://t.co/b6D3gm2kWL

— Paul Gorst (@ptgorst) February 9, 2024

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The former Borussia Dortmund boss, who is vacating his role as Liverpool manager at the end of the season, continued: “Yes, we didn’t really think about that [whether he will play again this season]. We’re waiting for a full assessment. It’s not intensity, it’s different things. It’s not a big, big injury, but it’s something that nobody needed.”

Thiago’s injury is clearly serious enough to rule him out of tomorrow’s game but it appears that Klopp is hopeful that the former Bayern Munich man will play for the club again before the end of the current campaign.

He’s missed more than 100 games through illness and injury since moving to Merseyside in 2020 which is a real shame considering how talented a player he is.

The ex-Barcelona ace has the ability to control the game from the middle of the park with his outrageous passing ability and world-class awareness and if fit could play a huge role in our attempts to pick up a maximum of four trophies this term.

With Dominik Szoboszlai currently sidelined with a hamstring injury it would’ve been great to be able to call upon our No. 6.

Wataru Endo is back available, however, after returning from the Asian Cup and that’s a huge boost for Klopp’s side ahead of the visit of Burnley to Anfield.

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There are fears that Thiago Alcantara may have played his last game for the club after news of yet another injury for the Spaniard.

The 32-year-old mad his first appearance for over nine months against Arsenal on Sunday as a late substitute during our 3-1 defeat at the Emirates.

Our No.6 barely touched the ball but Paul Joyce of The Times revealed yesterday that the former Bayern Munich man sustained a muscle injury.

Neil Jones, speaking via his Substack, has claimed it’s a hamstring injury that Thiago has picked up and the severity of the injury could see him ruled out until the summer – around about the same time in which his current Liverpool deal expires.

READ MORE: ‘We will have to see’ – Liverpool-linked Serie A defender responds to ongoing transfer speculation

It’s extremely unlikely that the Spain international will be offered a new contract – even if the midfielder is one of the most talented players in our squad.

Injuries have tarnished his Anfield career and have restricted him to just 71 starts since he joined the club in 2020. He’s missed more than 100 games through injury and illness during his time on Merseyside (Transfermarkt).

It would be a huge shame to see Thiago barely kick a ball during his final season at L4 but it’s looking that way at the moment.

His experience and quality would’ve played a huge role during the back end of the campaign with us still in contention on all four fronts this term.

Jurgen Klopp will speak to the press this afternoon ahead of our clash with Burnley tomorrow so we’ll hopefully find out more about the extent of the injury.

EOTK Insider: A tribute to Alex South; a remarkable man with a special Kop moment

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Mo Salah was a notable attendee at Liverpool training today, with the Egyptian King stepping up his recovery from the muscle injury which brought a swift end to his involvement at the Africa Cup of Nations last month.

The 31-year-old had been posting videos to Instagram this week showing him hard at work in the gym, and in footage shared to LFC’s official social media channels, he was seen alongside his teammates in Kirkby this morning.

Eagle-eyed Reds fans might’ve also spotted something a tad unusual about the forward’s attire. His shorts were embroidered not with his customary squad number 11 but instead the number 6, which currently belongs to Thiago Alcantara, who sadly has been hit by yet another injury setback.

We’re not quite sure as to the reason why Salah was wearing a piece of kit seemingly belonging to one of his teammates, but the sight of him at the AXA Training Centre comes as an enormous boost as Liverpool seek a return to winning ways on Saturday!

You can view the footage of Mo in training below, via Liverpool FC on YouTube:

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Thiago Alcantara has miraculously managed to get himself right back on the injury list after a very brief return and now Paul Joyce has provided more news on Mo Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai.

Writing for The Times, the Northern football correspondent said: ‘Liverpool are also set to be without Dominik Szoboszlai after he missed the Arsenal game because of a recurrence of a hamstring injury, while Mohamed Salah is following a personal fitness programme as he recovers from the hamstring problem he suffered with Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations last month.’

It seems then that we have no concrete news on when the duo will return from injury but an appearance against Burnley seems unlikely at this stage.

READ MORE: (Video) Missing Liverpool defender spotted in training video; Van Dijk delighted to see him

Our Egyptian King has certainly been a big miss because he’s such a constant goal threat for the Reds, that we always miss him when he’s not on the pitch.

Losing the captain of Hungary so soon before kick-off against Arsenal was also a big blow, meaning that Ryan Gravenberch was thrust into the starting line-up for a rare defeat.

The decision is now with Jurgen Klopp as to whether he will allow Harvey Elliott the chance to start against Vincent Kompany’s side or allow our No.38 to try and prove himself against lesser opposition.

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Up front, the dilemma will focus around which of the quartet of available options sits out but we are still well stacked in this department.

It’s never nice to see a growing injury list but at least Wataru Endo’s return this weekend is something to look forward to.

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Liverpool were handed a fresh injury blow on Thursday, and it’s one which could have Reds fans pounding the nearest wall in frustration.

As reported by Paul Joyce for The Times, Thiago Alcantara faces yet another spell on the sidelines after he picked up a muscle problem during his brief appearance off the bench in the final few minutes of the 3-1 loss to Arsenal last Sunday.

That substitute outing was his first matchday action in just over nine months, having been ruled out for a lengthy period due to a long-standing hip issue, and it may now raise serious concerns as to his future at Anfield, with the 32-year-old into the final five months of his £200,000-per-week contract (Capology).

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Thiago’s cameo outing at the Emirates Stadium was one of the very few positives that Liverpool could take from that game, but sadly it’s proven to be a false dawn after this latest setback.

He’s already missed more than 100 matches through injury since joining the Reds in September 2020 (Transfermarkt), a damning statistic which threatens to overshadow just how marvellous a footballer he’s been when fit and available.

While it may seem harsh to let a player of his quality slip quietly out the back door, it’s becoming increasingly harder to argue for his contract to be renewed beyond its current June expiry. For the squad’s third-highest earner (Capology) to have played only five minutes of football six months into the season just isn’t sustainable.

No timeframe has yet been put on the length of time that Thiago will now sit out after his latest body blow – Jurgen Klopp might elaborate when speaking to the press tomorrow ahead of the Burnley clash – but hopefully the 32-year-old can still play a valuable part in what’s increasingly looking like his final campaign at Anfield.

#Ep100 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones

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It’s expected that one Liverpool player in particular will join Jurgen Klopp in leaving the club at the end of this season.

According to Football Insider, Thiago Alcantara is unlikely to remain at Anfield beyond the summer, with his current contract expiring in June.

With the manager – who’s one of the 32-year-old’s biggest admirers – departing once the campaign ends, it’s claimed that the midfielder will need to remain fit and ‘play a big role’ between now and May in order to have any chance of being offered a new deal.

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If you’d said this time last year that, by February 2024, Liverpool would be top of the Premier League despite not having Thiago for almost six months of the season, the idea would’ve seemed preposterous.

When fully fit, the Spain international offers a level of technical brilliance which surpasses that of his illustrious teammates. It’s telling that Roy Keane – never a man to offer praise lightly – has dubbed him a player of ‘pure quality’ (ITV Sport, via HITC).

However, last summer’s much-needed midfield rebuild has seen the Reds thrive without their gifted number 6, who only made his first appearance of the campaign off the bench against Arsenal last weekend following a nine-month layoff with a hip injury (Transfermarkt).

With Liverpool soon facing into a period of nine matches in 30 days, and facing a potential fixture pile-up after Easter depending on their ongoing involvement in knockout competitions, Thiago’s availability could be crucial for squad rotation alone.

Even if he doesn’t start every game, though, his brilliance makes him more than just a backup player at Anfield, and he could yet have a massive say in our season if he remains fit until the end of May.

He’ll be 33 by then, so there’s a strong chance that he may seek a new challenge elsewhere rather than committing to a new deal with the Reds, but there’s still time for him to sign off from LFC on a massive high if he is to depart in the summer.

#Ep100 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones

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Martin Odegaard’s reaction to his Arsenal teammate Gabriel Jesus selecting Thiago Alcantara in his ideal five-a-side team speaks volumes for the Liverpool midfielder.

Our number 6 made his first appearance of the season in the 3-1 defeat to the Gunners on Sunday, coming off the bench to mark his return from more than nine months out injured (Transfermarkt).

The Emirates Stadium duo partook in the Premier League five-star skillers draft in a feature for Prime Video Sport, and the Brazil striker selected the 32-year-old for his team, causing the Norwegian to gush ‘What a player’.

If there had been any danger of Thiago becoming a forgotten man outside of Liverpool after such a long absence through injury, then Jesus and Odegaard have swiftly dispelled it.

The Spain international is easily one of the most technically gifted players in the English top flight, and here’s hoping he can have a big say in the Reds’ season until it finishes in May, by which stage his current contract will be about to expire.

You can view the Arsenal duo’s full selections below, via Prime Video Sport on TikTok:

@primevideosport Five-star skillers draft! Who made the better team, Jesus or Odegaard? #premierleague #arsenal #afc #draft #gabrieljesus #martinodegaard ♬ original sound – Prime Video Sport

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It’s official: Thiago Alcantara has returned to the Liverpool matchday squad.

And not a moment too soon with Dominik Szoboszlai ruled out of the trip to the Emirates with what appears to be a hamstring concern.

The Spanish international was spotted showcasing his superb ball control with a few tasty tricks and touches in the pre-match warmup, as captured and shared on X by TV personality Big Zuu.

Hopefully, we’ll get to see the former Bayern man on the pitch for at least a brief cameo.

You can catch the clip below, courtesy of @ItsBigZuu:

https://t.co/jOFfR0s4m3

— Empire of the Kop (@empireofthekop) February 4, 2024

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Diogo Jota is a natural finisher but his talents away from goal scoring are equally as impressive, though he’s spent some time talking about his teammates.

Speaking with Saturday Social, the forward was asked who was the most technically gifted he’s ever played with and his answer may not surprise too many.

Our No.20 said: “Thiago Alcantara. I think, obviously Liverpool is… I could have said Bernardo Silva now that I think about the national team but Thiago is a good shout!

READ MORE: (Video) Jota reveals how he and Liverpool teammates reacted to Klopp’s departure

“I don’t think I need to explain much, he is technically gifted – it looks like at least!”

With our No.6 set to make an imminent return from injury, now would be a great time for him to show everyone why he’s thought of so highly.

If we want to win as much silverware as possible in this campaign, then Thiago Alcantara being fit is certainly a massive boost.

You can watch Jota’s comments on Thiago (from 4:19) via Sky Sports Premier League on YouTube:

EOTK Insider: A tribute to Alex South; a remarkable man with a special Kop moment

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Jurgen Klopp has faced more than his fair share of late fitness drama before our game with Arsenal and now there’s a further update on both Thiago Alcantara and Darwin Nunez.

At the German’s press conference before the match, it was confirmed that there would be up to eight players missing for the trip to London.

However, news of Conor Bradley’s father’s tragic passing and reports of Dominik Szoboszlai not travelling with the squad to The Emirates has added more fears of further absentees.

READ MORE: Late injury blow: Klopp’s ‘naturally confident boy’ reportedly missing from LFC travelling squad to Arsenal

Finally though, we have some good news as The Anfield Talk reported on X that ‘Thiago and Darwin Núñez are’ with the rest of the Reds in the capital.

It doesn’t mean either are necessarily fit for many (or any) minutes but after seeing our No.9 pictured in training – it did ease some concerns voiced in the manager’s update to the media.

The video of our Spanish midfielder back on the grass went viral among supporters too and if we see a glimpse of that form against Mikel Arteta’s team, then we’ll all be delighted.

READ MORE: Darwin Nunez could emulate Luis Suarez after Jurgen Klopp’s pre-Arsenal comments

After 10 months without a game though, we can be almost certain that the former Bayern Munich man will not be replacing a possibly missing Hungarian from the start.

The positive is that our boss has options but he would have liked a bit more certainty around his squad in the hours before a crucial game.

You can view the Thiago and Nunez update via @TheAnfieldTalk on X:

https://twitter.com/TheAnfieldTalk/status/1753891038769348827

EOTK Insider: A tribute to Alex South; a remarkable man with a special Kop moment

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Liverpool have an amazing squad of players but one that is often tested with injury and availability issues but the sight of one man returning will be a beautiful one for our fans.

Thiago Alcantara hasn’t played for the Reds in 10 months and not only is he now back in training but he’s oozing class once again.

READ MORE: (Video) Klopp highlights role of ‘complete package’ who is ‘an extremely smart footballer’

Thanks to a clip shared by the club’s social media accounts, we can see our No.6 pulling off his trademark drop of the shoulder and firing balls into the back of the net.

The Spaniard also shared the video to his own account and wrote: ‘#ynwa ’.

You can watch the video of Thiago via @LFC on X:

#ynwa https://t.co/IYo87zPIbx

— Thiago Alcantara (@Thiago6) February 2, 2024

EOTK Insider: A tribute to Alex South; a remarkable man with a special Kop moment

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