Thiago Alcantara could be on his way out of Liverpool.
British outlet TeamTalk reported on Saturday (June 16) that “Liverpool could be in for a surprise transfer. Flamengo and Al Ittifaq are interested in Thiago.”
Thiago came up through the Barcelona youth ranks from Brazil and made his first-team debut at the age of 18 in 2009. But he wasn’t given many chances. At the time, the midfield consisted of Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta, and Sergio Busquets, known as the “Three Stooges”. At a young age, he struggled to break into the mainstream, but his unique technique made him a highly touted prospect.
A move to Pep Guardiola’s Bayern Munich gave him a new challenge, but Thiago was not a favorite of Guardiola in Munich either. He went on to become a world-class player under Carlo Ancelotti and Jupp Heynckes. In his final season in Munich, he won a treble and was named to the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) FIFPro World XI midfielders.
Thiago entered the Premier League (PL) with a move to Liverpool. Liverpool acquired Thiago for just €22 million, a bargain for a player of his caliber. Thiago was at his best at Liverpool. He added creativity to the midfield and won the FA Cup and English Football League Cup (EFL Cup) soon after joining Liverpool.
But injuries caught up with him. Thiago had problems with his hamstrings, hip, and hip. Thiago did his job every time he was on the field, but his playing time dropped significantly due to injuries. Last season, he only played 28 games, including cup competitions. He was linked with moves to Saudi Arabia and Barcelona last summer, but ultimately stayed put.
Liverpool have made a number of changes to their midfield ahead of this season. Longtime midfielders Fabinho, James Milner, and Jordan Henderson have left the club, while Alexis Sanchez, Dominic Sobolski, Wataru Endo, and Ryan Gravenbergh have been brought in.
Thiago remained, but didn’t start a single game this season. Thiago’s contract is up this summer. This summer, Liverpool will have to let Thiago leave without a transfer fee. In that situation, the interest from Flamengo and Al Ittifaq should be welcomed by Liverpool.