According to the Sunday World (26/07, back page), Bayern Munich chiefs believe that midfielder Thiago Alcantara already has a deal lined up with Liverpool.
This report states that Bayern are yet to actually receive an offer for Thiago, but still think there is an agreement in principle in the background with the Reds.
Some may wonder whether this is another case like Virgil van Dijk in 2017, but it would likely be a case of a deal being roughly agreed with Thiago’s agent rather than the player himself.
Bayern have made it clear that whilst Thiago can go, they won’t let him leave on the cheap – despite Liverpool seeking a deal worth around £30million.
The report even claims that boss Jurgen Klopp is pushing the Liverpool board to secure this deal, believing that Thiago can really improve his midfield.
That’s something of a surprise, as Naby Keita is having a strong end to the season, whilst Klopp also has Fabinho, Georginio Wijnaldum, Alex Oxalde-Chamberlain and Jordan Henderson in contention.
Still, Thiago is a little different. He’s a world-class playmaker with outstanding touch, technique, vision and passing ability; attributes that made him a favourite of Pep Guardiola at Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
Liverpool may well be biding their time, knowing that Bayern want to sell Thiago whilst possibly having an agreement with Thiago’s representatives in private – and that may just help drive the price tag down.
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