Barcelona are looking to bolster their midfield next summer and they have earmarked Liverpool midfielder Thiago Alcantara as one of their major targets.
According to a report from ESPN, Xavi Hernandez wants two players for the defensive midfield role and he feels competition is needed for Oriol Romeu at the base of midfield.
However, Barcelona’s financial conditions are such that they cannot afford to go out into the market and buy expensive players. The Blaugrana will have to sign players who are either out of contract or in the final year of their deal.
Joshua Kimmich is a potential target for Barca, but the Catalan giants have also shortlisted other midfielders like Thiago, Arsenal’s Jorginho, and Real Betis’ Guido Rodriguez.
Thiago is currently out injured and he has yet to play a single game for the Reds this season. The 32-year-old progressed through the youth ranks at Barcelona and made 100 appearances for the club before moving to Bayern Munich in 2013.
Thiago likely to leave
The Spaniard joined the Reds in 2020 and he is close to making his 100th appearance for the club. He is a terrific midfielder, and Jordan Henderson previously hailed him as “phenomenal”.
“He’s a phenomenal player, and hopefully he can just keep improving each time he plays for us and getting used to the way that we play as a team,” said the former Reds skipper, back in 2021.
Thiago’s £200k-per-week contract runs out in 2024 and chances are high that Liverpool will allow him to move on. He was linked with a move to Turkish clubs in the summer but Jurgen Klopp felt his presence was needed following the departures of Henderson and Fabinho.
Liverpool have added several new faces in midfield and they probably will look to bring in one or two more players in that area in the upcoming windows. Thiago probably would be tempted to return to his former club as well, and a potential move could be on the cards.
