Jordan Henderson is on the verge of cutting short his highly controversial move to Saudi Arabia, but that seemingly hasn’t deterred Al-Ettifaq from targeting yet another raid on Liverpool.
According to TEAMtalk, Steven Gerrard’s side are interested in a possible move for Thiago Alcantara, who’s free to enter talks with overseas clubs now that he’s into the final six months of his contract at Anfield.
The 32-year-old is reportedly being sought to replace his former Reds teammate in Dammam, with the England international close to securing a permanent transfer to Ajax just six months after arriving in the Middle East (The Athletic).
However, Al-Ettifaq could be hard pressed to swoop for the ex-Barcelona midfielder in January, as Jurgen Klopp remains a huge admirer of the player and would like to retain him for the rest of this season and possibly beyond, if a new deal can be agreed before June.
Henderson departed for Saudi Arabia last summer with criticism ringing in his ears over moving to a country with an appalling human rights record, proclaiming that he wanted to ‘achieve something special’ and help ‘build’ the league.
However, the reality has turned out to be rather different, with Gerrard’s side languishing in mid-table and occasionally playing in front of fewer than 700 paying spectators.
The 33-year-old’s abortive spell in the Middle East should serve as a warning to Thiago if the Liverpool midfielder is weighing up his next career move, should his contract at Anfield not be extended beyond its June expiry.
A long-term hip injury has unfortunately precluded the Spain international from being involved at any stage so far this season, but when fit he’s one of the most technically gifted players at Klopp’s disposal, and his experience could be massively helpful in the dressing room as the Reds vie for the Premier League title.
LFC’s number 6 may well be approaching the end of his time at Anfield, but he still has enough quality about him to operate at a higher standard than the much-maligned Saudi Pro League, where not even vast wealth can disguise a comparatively inferior level of football.
Awesome take Thiago
He likes a laid back job
Infact lfc should force thiago out on loan and let Gerrard’s team pay his wages