Santos may have another diamond in the rough, and he isn’t a forward. Jürgen Klopp has been looking for a holding midfielder to compete with his captain for a starting spot, a solid midfielder by the name of Thiago Maia. In comparison to his similarly named compatriot, surname Motta, the Santos midfielder, who grew up only 15 minutes away from Motta’s childhood home, is a lanky pivot who has impressed from an early age. Unlike him, he does not possess the PSG regista’s wand of a left foot, but Maia has gradually improved in every sense of the game, especially after his eye-opening performances in his home country this summer, with a complete game against the likes of Max Meyer in the Olympics Final. He needs to bulk up, and while he could be another dime-a-dozen box-to-box workhorse, he should improve his passing and positioning, and strive towards becoming Brazil’s next mediocentro.
Photo Credit: Ivan Storti/Santos FC