Liverpool would be willing to accept a “big” offer for injury-prone midfielder Thiago Alcantara in the upcoming January transfer window, despite recent reports of the Reds planning to extend his contract.
That is according to a report from Football Insider, which states Thiago Alcantara is on high wages at Anfield and that Liverpool might consider selling him if there is a suitably high offer in the January transfer window.
The Reds spent the summer rebuilding their midfield, with four new players arriving for around £150 million. Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo, and Ryan Gravenberch have all been brought in to help out in the engine room that had been stung by six departures. Indeed, of the six who departed Anfield, three of them — Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and James Milner — left as free agents.
Ultimately, those decisions were ultimately made by the Merseysiders, who declined the chance to tie the trio to a new deal. But, with Jordan Henderson and Fabinho departing for Saudi Arabia later that summer, Klopp suddenly found himself short on midfield choices, particularly in the absence of top-level proven players.
Klopp is keen to ensure the Reds are not stung once again in the winter market over Thiago, as he requires an extra senior option for his engine room, with club officials also interested in holding discussions over a contract extension with the player’s representatives.
The Spanish international is out of contract at Anfield at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, with growing doubts over his long-term future. He has struggled to stay fit since arriving at Anfield from Bayern Munich for £27 million. But when he is fit and firing, the 32-year-old midfielder has proven to be a truly elite footballer who can run the show in the middle of the park.
The former Barcelona star was previously linked with an exit during the summer transfer window. After rejecting a move to the Saudi Pro League, the 32-year-old was later touted for a move to Turkey. But the player rejected a switch, while Liverpool snubbed the chance to terminate his contract to facilitate a free transfer.
As per reports earlier this week, Liverpool are willing to open talks over a new deal. But no fix timeframe has been set at this point as the veteran playmaker focuses on building on his fitness. There is still the possibility of Liverpool being prepared to cash in on the experienced midfielder at the turn of the year against Klopp’s wishes, as per Football Insider.
Ultimately, the Spaniard is on big money and has had fitness issues. So, it is understandable why the Liverpool hierarchy would like to see Thiago leave in 2024 whilst recouping a chunk of their initial investment spent to acquire his services from Bayern in the first place.
