Thiago Alcantara will have an offer from Liverpool on the table, says Dietmar Hamann, with the Spanish midfielder considered to have snubbed fresh terms at Bayern Munich for a reason.
The 29-year-old has been given the chance to stay at on the Allianz Arena. He has, however, knocked back efforts to tie him down on fresh terms beyond the summer of 2021.
With no deal agreed, it could be that a successful Champions League final appearance against Paris Saint-Germain proves to be Thiago’s last for Bayern.
Liverpool have been heavily linked with a move for the former Barcelona star, with Jurgen Klopp in the market for another creative influence. Hamann believes a transfer is destined to go through once a suitable fee has been agreed between buyers and sellers.
Hamann, who represented Bayern and Liverpool in his playing days, told talkSPORT: “It looks like he has been offered a contract in Munich that he turned down.
“He must have shown an interest of staying otherwise they wouldn’t have offered him a new contract, but at the last minute he turned round and said he might want to do something else.
“I’d be very surprised if he turned down a contract with Bayern Munich if he hasn’t got anything else. I’m sure he has got an offer from Liverpool, it’s probably about the transfer fee now.
“I never felt he was a defensive or a holding midfielder, but he has been absolutely magnificent. The way he pulled things together [against PSG], and he’s a brilliant footballer.
“He can give a new and different dimension to Liverpool’s midfield. I’d be surprised if he doesn’t end up at Liverpool.”
Questions have been asked of whether Liverpool need to be bringing in Thiago, given the midfield options that Klopp already has at his disposal.
Georginio Wijnaldum has, however, entered the final 12 months of his contract at Anfield and the general consensus is that greater squad depth will help the Reds to maintain the standards they have set while collecting domestic, continental and global crowns over the course of the last 18 months, including ending a 30-year wait for the English top-flight title.