According to reports from Turkey, Liverpool have set their asking price for Thiago Alcantara and will allow him to leave if it’s met.
Aksam reported that the Reds want €20m (£17m) for the midfielder, for whom Galatasaray are considering a bid, albeit for only half of the price the Anfield club have set, and with the intention of spreading out the €10m (£8.5m) across four instalments.
The report also states that the Premier League giants are ‘waiting for an offer’ for the 32-year-old, who’s believed to be ‘looking forward’ to the prospect of a ‘new adventure’ with the Istanbul outfit.
However, Spanish outlet Sport have claimed that Thiago’s former club Barcelona are considering a swoop for him, which may prove difficult to turn down when you consider that he began his career there and won the Champions League with them in 2011.
Having acquired the Spain international for £25m from Bayern Munich three years ago (Sky Sports) when he was 29, Liverpool would probably be quite pleased to recoup the bulk of that if their reported asking price is met by prospective suitors.
Selling him for £17m this summer would ensure he doesn’t walk away on a free transfer next year once his contract expires, while it’d also get his £200,000-per-week wages off the books (Capology), which in turn could be put towards potential new deals at Anfield.
Furthermore, Neil Jones had indicated in an exclusive piece with Empire of the Kop that Thiago would be the likeliest departure if the Reds were to dispense with another senior midfielder this summer, so it does seem plausible that the 32-year-old could move on over the coming weeks.
However, having apparently set their price for him, Liverpool mustn’t allow prospective suitors to take them for a ride over the player’s valuation – for instance, that derisory, instalment-driven offer Galatasaray are seemingly planning can go straight in the bin.
If LFC are to part with a player as gifted and decorated as the ex-Barcelona star, they must ensure they get a fair fee for him to compensate for the void he’d leave in the squad.
Ep79 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: Dominik Szoboszlai – a mix of De Bruyne/Gerrard/Zidane?
Liverpool with Thiago is not going to improve Liverpool
Should never of signed him in the first place
Get rid