Thiago Alcantara backed to be a success for Liverpool

Graeme Souness is certain Thiago Alcantara will prove to be an enormous success at Liverpool following his summer arrival.

Thiago ended weeks of speculation regarding his future by completing a €30m transfer to Liverpool on September 18, and has already made a positive impression.

The former Bayern Munich man came off the bench for his debut against Chelsea just two days later. He quickly proved his worth by completing more passes than any other Blues player on 75 passes in his limited role.

Jurgen Klopp didn’t select Thiago in a heavily changed Reds line-up in last week’s 7-2 Carabao Cup win over Lincoln City, but Souness expects more great things ahead all the same.

“Bayern Munich don’t usually let their big players go before they are on the wane, but I just don’t see any indication of that with Thiago at 29,” the Liverpool legend wrote in a column for The Times.

“He’s played at the highest level, at big clubs in Barcelona and Bayern Munich, so won’t be intimidated by coming to Liverpool and playing under pressure.

“He’ll understand that you’re playing in cup finals every week because the opposition badly wants to beat you. He can deal with all that.”

Thiago could make his second appearance on Monday in the Premier League for the first of a double-header between Liverpool and Arsenal at Anfield, with a Carabao Cup last-16 tie coming up on Thursday.