Niko Kovac: Thiago is the heartbeat of our midfield | OneFootball

Thiago Alcantara is a born winner. At age 28, the Bayern stalwart has proven to be one of the best midfielders in the world, winning 10 league titles with Barcelona and Bayern in the last 11 years.

Thiago completed a whopping 93 per cent of his passes last season and led all Bundesliga midfielders in total touches (2,916).

In a press conference, manager Niko Kovac expressed how vital the Spain international has been to the club’s success.

“What can I say about Thiago? He’s a top player! He was sensational last season,” Kovac said.

“We’ve got a massive pool of exceptional midfielders, but he’s the heartbeat of our midfield, a player who can do everything with the ball.

“He can speed up the game, slow it down – he thinks like a coach. That’s what every coach wants.”

Last season, Thiago featured 41 times for Bayern in all competitions, scoring twice and supplying a generous eight assists.