Bayern star Thiago Alcantara set to join Liverpool: report

Berlin (AFP) – Spain midfielder Thiago Alcantara is on the verge of joining Premier League champions Liverpool after stalling over signing a contract extension at Bayern Munich, according to a report in Bild on Friday.

The paper claims Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp wants to sign the playmaker who helped Munich win the Bundesliga title and German Cup double last season, but the clubs have yet to agree a transfer fee.

According to Bild, Liverpool are not willing to pay more than 25 million euros ($28.5 million), while Bayern want around 40 million euros for the 29-year-old.

Earlier this week, there were widespread reports that Alcantara’s house in Munich is already up for sale.

With a year left on his contract, Alcantara has stalled on signing an extension, but Bayern clearly want to keep him.

“We negotiated with him and granted his wishes, but it looks like he wants to do something new at the end of his career,” Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said in early July.

Alcantara joined Bayern in 2013, when newly-arrived head coach Pep Guardiola started three years in charge by declaring “Thiago or nothing” in terms of new signings.

He won the Champions League under Guardiola in 2010/11 with Barcelona and since joining Bayern, Alcantara has won the Bundesliga title in each of his seven seasons, lifting the German Cup four times.

He has made 231 appearances for Bayern, scoring 31 goals and creating 37 more.