Thiago Alcantara, a midfielder for Liverpool, is considering returning to his native Spain after informing several LaLiga clubs that he is prepared to quit Anfield.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp could be about to lose another Kop star with Spanish international Thiago Alcantara nearing the exit door. The 32-year-old is considering a move back to his native Spain with a number of LaLiga clubs having been made aware that he is ready to leave Anfield. He just has 12 months left on his current deal, a similar situation to the summer of 2020 when he left Bayern Munich for Merseyside in a cut-price £20million transfer.
The Spanish international has become a firm favourite with Liverpool fans although injuries saw him make just 18 Premier League appearances last season. But as in the cases of skipper Jordan Henderson and Brazilian international Fabinho who are both heading to Saudi Arabia, Klopp ideally doesn’t want to lose Thiago as well.
Klopp though has never kept a player against his will and if Thiago forces through a move Klopp will reluctantly stand aside. It will though accelerate Liverpool’s push to add to the midfield signings of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai. Liverpool have baulked at the £70million price tag Crystal Palace have placed on Cheick Doucoure while Real Madrid have insisted another Anfield target Aurelien Tchouameni is not for sale.
Klopp is also interested in Bayern Munich’s Ryan Gravenberch, Southampton’s Romeo Lavia and Fiorentina’s Sofyan Amrabat while Manchester City’s Kalvin Phillips has been mentioned. With Thiago now also set for the exit door the need to bring in new signings has reached a critical level.
Jurgen Klopp had a spring in his step after the quick-fire signings of midfield stars Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai. World Cup winner Mac Allister and Hungary skipper Szoboszlai were brought to Merseyside for less than £100 million and with plenty of time to bed the duo into the pre-season programme appeared heaven sc
ent for the Liverpool boss still smarting from last season’s failure to qualify for the Champions League. With hopes of landing another top-quality operator for the Anfield engine room, it seemed that the departures of Roberto Firmino, James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain would be more than compensated for.
Mo Salah, Darwin Nunez, Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, and Cody Gakpo make up a front line with much of goal-scoring potential. The revamp includes younger energy and expertise to support this line. The Kop is eagerly awaiting the start of the season.
Klopp was reportedly over his season-ending sadness. The Anfield bean accountants had lost their argument with him over a more manageable schedule of friendlies rather than games played all over the world, and his radiant smile had returned at the training facility. The outcome had set the stage for a new campaign.
But then came the Saudi Arabia factor to suddenly throw a spoke into the Liverpool wheel as the squad headed off to their training camp in Germany encompassing a couple of friendlies. Fabinho who made 53 appearances for Liverpool and Brazil last season was left behind on Merseyside to discuss a £40million move to join up with former Wolves and Spurs boss Nuno Espirito Santo at Al Ittihad. Meanwhile, skipper Jordan Henderson was involved in Germany despite negotiations over a £700,000 a week switch to Steven Gerrard’s Al Ettifaq on-going.
