Liverpool have reportedly agreed a £25million deal to sign Thiago Alcantara from Bayern Munich.
The clubs have been in discussions since the start of the week after the Spain international made it clear since July that he would not be signing another contract in Germany.
The midfielder has long expressed desire to work under coach Jurgen Klopp at Anfield.
According to The Independent, a £20m guaranteed fee will be paid over the course of Thiago’s four-year contract, while an additional £5m can be earned via performance-based bonuses, such as winning the Premier League or Champions League and will wear the No 6 jersey.
The 29-year-old is in the final year of his contract with the Bundesliga champions and declined a lucrative extension in search of a new challenge.
Liverpool have been patient in their pursuit of Thiago. Klopp wanted to shed numbers in midfield before making a concrete move for the player, but decided the recruitment process could not be placed on hold any longer, given his world-class status.
Thiago will become their second major signing of the transfer window after the Reds spent £11.75m on Greek left-back Kostas Tsimikas.
Liverpool will look to trim the squad before the close of the window, but Gini Wijnaldum – wanted by coach Ronald Koeman at Barcelona – is expected to remain on Merseyside and see out his deal as things stand.
Thiago will provide Liverpool with greater dimension to their play, offering the opportunity to build centrally instead of primarily from the full-backs.
