Liverpool have agreed a deal with Bayern Munich for Spanish midfielder Thiago Alcantara.
The Anfield side will pay £20m across Thiago’s four-year contract, with the potential for £5m in add-ons, and the midfielder will wear the No 6 jersey.
It had initially looked like any deal would be dependent on the future of Georginio Wijnaldum, who is also in the final year of his Anfield contract, but Liverpool have decided to make their move now.
Thiago helped Bayern win the treble last season, as they beat PSG in the Champions League final last month in Lisbon.
Bayern boss Hansi Flick paid tribute to Thiago on Thursday and revealed he had said his goodbyes to players and staff at the club.
“Thiago is an exceptional player who spent seven hugely successful years here,” Flick said. “He’s a wonderful person and an outstanding professional. It was very emotional today when he said goodbye to us all.”
In July Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge revealed that Thiago had told the club that he wanted a new challenge.
Rummenigge admitted that talks between the player and sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic over a new deal had broken down as he wished to leave Germany and said the club would accept a “reasonable price” for him.
