Liverpool confirm £25m signing of Thiago from Bayern Munich as Spanish midfielder joins Premier League champions on a four-year contract
- Liverpool have confirmed the signing of Thiago Alcantara from Bayern Munich
- The Spanish midfielder has put pen to paper on a four-year contract at Anfield
- Liverpool will pay at least £20m over the next four years with added bonuses
- Liverpool have also contacted Watford to register their interest in Ismaila Sarr
Liverpool have confirmed the signing of Thiago Alcantara from Bayern Munich for £25million.
It was announced on Thursday that the Premier League champions had finalised negotiations with the German giants after a summer of speculation linking Thiago to Anfield.
He has now been announced as a Liverpool player by the club after completing a medical and agreeing personal terms.
Liverpool have announced the £25m signing of Bayern Munich midfielder Thiago Alcantara
Jurgen Klopp has been chasing the Champions League winner and has finally got his man
Thiago has put pen to paper on a four-year deal and will wear the vacant No 6 shirt for Jurgen Klopp’s side.
It represents a real coup for the Premier League champions who have got Thiago less than a month after he excelled in the Champions League final for Bayern Munich.
It shows how far the club has come during Klopp’s tenure that they can sign one of the best midfielders in Europe at the peak of his powers.
Michael Edwards, Liverpool’s sporting director, had been in discussions with his counterpart at Bayern, Hasan Salihamidzic, and he made a breakthrough, with Liverpool guaranteeing to pay a minimum of £20m over the next four years.
Should Liverpool win the Premier League or Champions League again before 2024, they will have to pay Bayern another £5m and there are other bonuses should he win any individual honours during his time at Anfield.
Thiago arrived on Merseyside via a private flight to begin his medical on Thursday and now the formalities have been completed.
The 29-year-old was in talks with Bayern over a new contract but halted proceedings after deciding he wanted a new challenge.
Thiago starred for Bayern as they won the Champions League but he wanted a new challenge
Liverpool hope Thiago can bring a new dimension as they try to retain the Premier League
Bayern boss Hans-Dieter Flick congratulated Liverpool on the signing on Thursday, saying: ‘Thiago is an extraordinary player and was very important for us. My coaching team and I enjoyed working with him.
‘It was very emotional as we said goodbye. I can only congratulate Liverpool as they got a great player and especially a great person.
‘Thiago gave the team a lot of options and made us unpredictable, he solved things in ways you don’t expect.
‘Now we’re losing yet another great player. We are in contact with Hasan [Salihamidzic, sporting director] and we are confident that we can still do something.
‘We’re positive and we have the first game tomorrow. That’s the focus now and we have a good squad with which we can win the game.’
The move for Thiago does not, however, mean Liverpool will be looking to offload one of their current midfielders such as Gini Wijnaldum, who has nine months remaining on his contract and is wanted by Barcelona head coach Ronald Koeman.
Liverpool have also contacted Watford to register their interest in Ismaila Sarr, the Senegal forward, who performed so well against them last season and is valued by the Championship club at more than £35m.