ARJEN ROBBEN

 

Liverpool legend Dietmar Hamann has urged Jurgen Klopp’s side to land the services of Thiago Alcantara from Bayern Munich this summer. The Spain international has declined the option of signing a new contract with the German champions and hence, he is expected to leave the club with his deal expiring in 11 months’ time.

It has been widely reported that the Spaniard prefers a move to the Premier League with the Reds, but so far, there has been no approach for his services. Speaking to The Athletic, Hamann said that Thiago would be an upgrade on the midfield options at the Premier League holders, he told: “You could still get a very good three or four years out of him.

“Thiago isn’t someone who relies on his pace. He’s smart. He uses the ball well. Teams come to Anfield and just try to frustrate them and that’s likely to get worse next season. Thiago has huge quality in terms of unlocking defences. He could be very useful. I think if there’s one area of this team that Liverpool can improve, it’s probably the midfield.”

Bayern are currently said to demand around £27m to part ways with the former Barcelona star, but it appears that the Reds are not in a position to meet the figure. The Merseyside outfit may have won the Premier League but given the self-sustainable nature of their business, they are said to be facing the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

As a result, they may need to offload a few players to recoup funds and that appears uncertain at the moment, given the Reds have a settled squad without the need for excessive changes. The club recently purchased Kostas Tsimikas from the fees recouped from the sale of Dejan Lovren. Xherdan Shaqiri is probably the only other player, who could head for the exit door. It remains to be seen whether the Reds will use the funds to pursue Thiago’s signature.