When Liverpool finally thrashed out a deal for Thiago Alcantara in late September 2020, it's fair to say it raised numerous eyebrows away from Anfield.
Despite his undeniable quality and a reputation as one of Europe's most technically gifted operators, which had been forged largely under the stewardship of Pep Guardiola at Barcelona and later Bayern Munich, the Spaniard was broadly viewed as an unnecessary addition to the Reds' previous Premier League-winning midfield.
Months prior to his arrival, his soon-to-be team-mates romped to league title success for the first time in 30 years as the collective exertion of Georginio Wijnaldum, Jordan Henderson and Fabinho allowed Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah to flourish and end the club's most highly-anticipated wait for a trophy in modern history.
