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It’s the transfer story that won’t go away, but of all the summer sagas, Thiago Alcántara from Bayern Munich to Liverpool is the least likely to happen … for now.
Within that league table of “will they / won’t they?” deals, may include Barcelona’s Lionel Messi to Manchester City and Manchester United’s continued interest in Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho, but both have a better chance of getting over the line than Thiago signing on the dotted line at Anfield ahead of the Premier League transfer deadline of October 5.
All three possible transfers have significant hurdles to overcome before they can be completed, but while Thiago to Liverpool should be the easiest of all, he is proving to be the hardest to overcome.
First of all, don’t make the mistake of believing that Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has no interest in adding Thiago to his title-winning team. Under normal circumstances, without the clubs affected by the financial impact of COVID-19, a £ 27 million deal for a world-class attacking midfielder, with the pedigree of playing for Bayern, Barcelona and Spain, would be an easy transfer. Never mind that, at 29, Thiago doesn’t quite fit the profile of a Liverpool signing with Klopp.
Klopp wants to renew a team that has added just two senior players: £ 7.25 million forward Takumi Minamino and £ 11.75 million left-back Kostas Tsimikas, since winning the Champions League in June 2019. The old man adage to strengthen while at the top has been largely ignored at Anfield since Liverpool began their pursuit of the one-year trophy by beating Tottenham in Madrid to win their sixth European Cup, and loss on penalty shoot-out. Saturday’s match against Arsenal at the Community Shield at Wembley exposed the need for new blood within Klopp’s Squad.
The German knows he needs fresh faces to spice up the competition for venues and make sure his players can see that the club is determined to build on recent success. But it’s also a reality at Anfield that no major signings will come this summer until, or unless, a senior player leaves and thus brings in money via a transfer fee or frees up space on the salary bill.
Financial constraints created by the pandemic caused Liverpool to miss out on Timo Werner, who eventually left RB Leipzig for Chelsea after Klopp admitted there was no money for the champions to complete a £ 47.7 million deal for the German striker.
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Liverpool lose approximately £ 3 million each time Anfield hosts a closed-door game and, like any other Premier League club, must pay a refund of around £ 20 million to the league’s broadcasters due to the disruption caused by COVID-19. Before a ball has been kicked in the 2020-21 season, Liverpool already have over £ 30 million in terms of money they were hoping to win. That figure will rise with every Anfield game played without paying spectators, which is why a deal for Thiago remains firmly on hold, despite the need for a player of his creative talents on Klopp’s team.
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Jan Aage Fjortoft confirms that Manchester United are interested in Liverpool goal Thiago Alcantara.
There is a key that can open the door, but it is in the hands of Georginio Wijnaldum, the Dutch midfielder who has been a pivotal figure in Liverpool’s brilliant years. Wijnaldum played a central role by winning all the trophies in the Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup, the FIFA Club World Cup and the Premier League. But the 29-year-old is out of contract in June 2021 and no progress has been made in negotiating a new one. Sources have told ESPN that both the club and the player have a significant difference in their opinion on the terms of any new deal, but there are no indications of consequences and Klopp wants Wijnaldum to stay at the club and risk losing him. on a free transfer next summer. if you must.
Barcelona are eager to sign the Dutchman, with new manager Ronald Koeman developing great admiration for his consistency and versatility during his time as coach of the Netherlands, but the player is in no rush to leave Anfield.
If Wijnaldum stays, Liverpool cannot, and will not, go ahead in any attempt to sign Thiago, who is also out of contract next summer and has refused to sign a new one with the Champions League winners. . If Wijnaldum leaves, sources have told ESPN that Liverpool is likely to make a move for Thiago, if speculation linking him to Manchester United does not result in a move to Old Trafford before then.
United’s attention to Thiago is understood to be nothing more than that of interested spectators, with manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer having priorities elsewhere, while there may be an element that his involvement is being exaggerated by those looking to push the Liverpool in action. But as it stands now, with the new season less than two weeks away, it will take a first-team player to leave Liverpool before the club looks to sign Thiago. Wijnaldum is not pushing to leave and Liverpool are happy he is staying so it is hard to see a breakthrough.
However, the results in the field are the only element that could change everything. If Liverpool get off to an unconvincing start in defending their title, a new signing may become a necessity. Of course by then Messi may be tearing it up with a blue jersey at Etihad and Sancho could be settling in at Old Trafford.
