Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is set to complete his second summer signing as reports from Germany confirmed that Bayern Munich star Thiago Alcantara is leaving to join the Premier League champions. The Spain international will ink a four-year deal that will cost Anfield some £27 million in transfer fee.
The switch was confirmed by Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, who indicated that after seven years with the Bavarians, Thiago has been allowed to embark on a new challenge, which the 29-year-old will be doing outside of the Bundesliga.
"I can confirm that FC Bayern have finally reached an agreement with Liverpool ... It was Thiago's great wish to do something new at the end of his career," Metro reported the Bayern chief as saying.
The fresh recruit is set to arrive on Thursday for his medical but per the same report, he will not be sorted out in time for the Klopp's side Sunday match against Chelsea. Thiago is the German boss's second signing in the transfer window after Liverpool completed the £12 million deal in August that brought in Greek defender Kostas Tsimikas.
In Thiago, Klopp is getting a player that has experienced a string of victories since linking up with Bayern from Barcelona seven years ago. The Spaniard boasts of seven La Liga titles and the Champions League crown last season, capped by the Bavarians' treble finish.
Also, the midfielder had the privilege of working with top-flight football managers like Pep Guardiola and the emerging Hansi Flick, who engineered Bayern's impressive run in the Bundesliga and the Champions League in the last campaign.
Liverpool defender Andy Robertson said Thiago is a welcome addition to the club that in the upcoming campaign will seek to retain the Premier League title and try to win back the Champions League trophy, owned at present by Thiago's soon-to-be-former club, Bayern Munich.
"I've watched him, he's a fantastic player - a player full of talent ... He would add to the quality of a squad in probably any team in the world," Sky Sports reported Robertson as saying.
The Liverpool man added that Thiago has played at the highest level and he will be a perfect fit to the Reds roster.
The latest signing by Klopp will likewise serve as a strong reminder that Liverpool is now regarded as among the giants in the world of football. Thiago proved that he can win in the big leagues and do it at a sustained pace, and his decision to join up with the Reds should be a proof that the club has earned the respect of quality players, the report added.
In turn, Klopp seemed ready to return the same level of respect to the incoming players as reports said Thiago will be given the shirt No. 6 when the transfer deal is completed.
