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Liverpool have reached an agreement to sign midfielder Thiago Alcantara from Bayern Munich.
Thiago has been heavily linked with a change from the Premier League in recent weeks as he looks to leave Bayern after their triplet season.
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Thiago played a key role when Bayern Munich won the European Cup last month
Manchester United and the Reds have been the top two contenders for his signing, and Liverpool have now won the transfer race.
The fee is around 27 million pounds sterling (30 million euros) and Thiago must reach a personal agreement with Liverpool, although no problems are expected at this stage of the negotiations.
Bayern wanted Thiago’s departure to be completed before the start of the new Bundesliga season, which begins on Friday with Schalke’s visit to Bavaria.
Thiago, 29, will leave Bayern after seven years during which he has won seven consecutive Bundesliga titles and also four DFB-Pokals and the Champions League.
He played a key role in the 2019/20 campaign that won the German giants’ treble, culminating in Bayern’s European Cup success against PSG last month.
Bayern manager Hansi Flick confirmed the player was leaving at a press conference on Thursday and congratulated Liverpool on landing such an important talent.
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“Thiago is an exceptional player who spent seven very successful years here,” said Flick.
“He is a wonderful person and an outstanding professional. It was very emotional today when he said goodbye to all of us.
“I can only congratulate Liverpool because they got a great player and especially a great person.”
Thiago is alleged to have agreed to a four-year contract with Bayern earlier this year before telling the club that he actually wanted to breach the agreement and leave the club.
“It’s a difficult situation,” former Bayern president Uli Hoeness said earlier this week.
“Some time ago we agreed on a new four-year contract. A few days later she said: ‘I’m looking for a new challenge.’ Which is totally fine.
“I think he obviously has an agreement with Liverpool or Manchester United or both. Now both clubs are bragging and no one has officially contacted Bayern Munich.
“From my point of view, that has no style. They are trying to blackmail us, waiting until the last week, when they will make a cheap offer. “
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