Sudden twist as Liverpool become ‘willing’ to sell yet another midfielder in January
Liverpool might listen to offers for Thiago Alcantara in the January transfer window if talks over a new contract fail to progress, according to a report.
Thiago is into the final year of his contract with Liverpool, but Football Insider recently claimed the club were in preliminary talks about extending his stay. However, the same source is now suggesting the Reds could cash in on the midfielder after all.
The latest report states that Liverpool are ‘willing’ to sell Thiago in January if they receive a ‘big’ offer, without specifying what their asking price would be. Thiago attracted interest from clubs in Turkey and Saudi Arabia over the summer, though it is not yet clear where he could move in the winter.
Before finalising any contract offer to the Spaniard, Liverpool want to see how his injury situation develops. Any doubts on that front could further lead to chances of him leaving.
As things stand, all options seem to be open for Thiago, who at 32 years of age is the most experienced midfielder Liverpool have left after he survived their summer exodus in the position.
read more: Klopp in dreamland, with player he loves ‘desperate’ to be part of Liverpool evolution
Thiago has been with Liverpool since 2020, when they bought him from Bayern Munich as a reigning European champion. He has since made 97 appearances for Jurgen Klopp’s side.
However, he featured in fewer than half of their Premier League matches last season and has rarely been able to put a strong run of games together during his time in English football. Injury has kept him on the sidelines at the start of this season, too.
Thiago could be next midfielder to leave Liverpool
On his day, Thiago remains a highly talented option in midfield, which is why Liverpool wouldn’t be against keeping him, but concerns about his physical reliability may make them pay close attention to any offer that comes in during the January window.
If Liverpool fail to sell Thiago or get him to commit to a new contract, then he would walk away from the club as a free agent at the end of the season. His potential departure would come after the likes of Fabinho, Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain left the club this year.
Liverpool reinforced the ranks by signing Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai and Wataru Endo, all of whom now represent competition for a place in midfield for Thiago.