Thiago's stunning Champions League final performance for Bayern Munich showed Liverpool exactly what the midfielder could bring to the table.
The Bundesliga giants battled with Paris Saint-Germain for the prestigious trophy and edged out the contest thanks to a 59th-minute winner courtesy of Kingsley Coman.
Despite the absence of Jurgen Klopp's side, plenty of Reds fans viewed the game with a wandering eye due to rumours swirling around a certain Thiago Alcantara.
The player had been linked with a move to Anfield for months but the ECHO understands Liverpool contacted Bayern to open discussions over a £27million deal this week.
Thiago is inside the last year of his contract with the German champions and Bayern have been keen to offload him after being told the 29-year-old would not be signing a new deal at the Allianz, instead opting to look for a new challenge.
And after those 90 minutes in the European Cup final, those curious as to why Liverpool could hold an interest in a central midfield player despite currently having eight on the books had no further questions.
Thiago was majestic throughout the match and despite being surrounded by elite footballers while contesting arguably the biggest prize in club football, Thiago stood out.
His control, spacial awareness, coolness and technique permitted him to dictate the flow of the game. He completed more passes than any other player on the field and double the amount of any PSG player, with the French side missing their version of Thiago in Marco Verratti due to fitness issues.
Thiago was a metronome for Bayern; receiving the ball in deeper areas and retaining possession with ease until subtle openings emerged for him to execute more risky passes.
One of those more dangerous attempts contributed significantly to the winning goal, with Thiago finding Joshua Kimmich on the edge of the final third after assuming possession at a diagonal angle roughly 30 yards from his teammate.
Although Jurgen Klopp has a very capable midfield at Anfield - with players who are dominant enough to own the pitch against the large majority of opponents - he doesn't have a Thiago.
There are plenty of impersonators, but the Bavarian fulcrum is the real deal.
While his delicate profile may not appear entirely suited to Klopp's intense and physical brand of football, Thiago has demonstrated in the second-half of the season under Hansi Flick how he's able to thrive as part of a high-pressing unit.
* What are your thoughts on the move for Thiago? Have your say in our survey HERE
Moreover, most of the opponents that Liverpool face in England's top-flight are more that willing to accept the inferior role by sitting deep and essentially playing for a draw. A greater emphasis is placed on the possession capability of Klopp's team in those scenarios, and Thiago is the ultimate possession midfielder because of the range of passes in his locker.
Overall, as Liverpool move closer to closer to total dominance on the pitch year on year, Thiago's suitability to performing and thriving on Merseyside increases.
