The vice-president of one European club is reportedly in England to speak to a Liverpool player about a potential exit from Anfield.
Turkish outlet Fanatik reported (via Sport Witness) that Galatasaray executive Erden Timur has already held talks with Thiago Alcantara about a possible move to Istanbul, having presented a ‘very good offer’ that the midfielder is thought to have welcomed.
The Super Lig club’s representative has apparently made several trips to the UK in relation to prospective transfer business and has spoken with Merseyside chiefs about the conditions necessary to sign the Spain international. Liverpool’s response to those discussions is unknown.
It’s in the balance as to whether or not Thiago will depart Anfield this summer, with conflicting reports from various sources regarding his immediate future.
The Telegraph‘s Chris Bascombe claimed that the Reds are prepared to offload the 32-year-old, while James Pearce and Raphael Honigstein of The Athletic stated that the player intends to remain at Liverpool for the final year of his contract, having rejected a ‘lucrative’ offer from Saudi Arabia.
It isn’t unthinkable that LFC could cash in on the midfielder while they still have a chance to earn money from his departure, while selling him would also free up a non-homegrown berth in the Premier League squad, with only one such vacancy at the moment.
However, Jurgen Klopp could be reluctant to lose a player whose technical qualities are almost unrivalled at Anfield, and his would be the second highly experienced midfield exit of the summer after James Milner left for Brighton.
Thiago’s future may hinge on whether another player in his position is recruited, following on from Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, and whether the 32-year-old himself would prefer to remain with the Reds or seek a new venture elsewhere.
The picture may become clearer as the summer progresses, even if it’s up in the air for now.
#Ep79 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: Dominik Szoboszlai – a mix of De Bruyne/Gerrard/Zidane?🎙️