Liverpool transfer round-up: Reds eye Bundesliga ace as Klopp gushes over Thiago
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After a relatively quiet transfer window, following no acquisitions the previous summer, Liverpool fans were beginning to grow a little angsty at the team’s seeming unwillingness to add to the squad despite their relentless success in recent seasons.
However, in a swift 24 hours, everything changed. On Friday, Liverpool confirmed the signing of Thiago Alcantara from Bayern Munich. The Spanish midfielder had been linked with a move to Anfield throughout the summer and eventually confirmed his switch this week.
Almost immediately, reports then surfaced that the Reds had approached Wolves over 23-year-old winger, Diogo Jota, who impressed in the latter half of last season in Nuno Espirito Santo’s side. His move to Anfield was confirmed on Saturday afternoon.
It has, then, been a busy couple of days for Liverpool, who are also preparing to face a revamped Chelsea that spent north of £200 million on reinforcements on Sunday.
With such significant developments in the past few days, here are the latest transfer rumours surrounding a now hugely active Liverpool.
Liverpool complete Jota signing
(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
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Liverpool got their title defence off to a shaky start as they edged out a seven-goal thriller against Leeds.
In terms of transfers the Reds have completed the signing of Thiago Alcantara and Wolves’ Diogo Jota is arriving too.
Youngster Ki-Jana Hoever is set to head to Wolves in a £10million deal, while Gini Wijnaldum continues to be linked with Barcelona. There’s a lot to keep track of.
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Liverpool have completed the signing of Diogo Jota from Wolves, the club officially announced on Saturday.
“It’s just a really exciting moment for me and my family,” he told Liverpoolfc.com upon sealing the transfer on Saturday. “All of my path since I was a kid and now, to join a club like Liverpool – the world champions – is just unbelievable. I just want to get started.
“It is one of the best teams in the world – the best at the moment because they are world champions. When you look at the Premier League, you always see Liverpool as one of the biggest teams in the country, so it’s impossible to say no.
“So we just want to come [here], to give our best and hopefully I can become a good option for Liverpool in the future.”
The Athletic report the deal is worth £45 million, with the Portuguese star signing a five-year contract with an initial payment of £41 million and another £4 million in add-ons.
As a part of the deal, highly-touted Dutch teenager Ki-Jana Hoever will join Wolves in a £9 million deal which could raise to £13.5 million. The report states that Liverpool have secured a 15% sell-on clause, too.
Schalke defender on radar
(Image: Getty Images)
Liverpool’s transfer business is not set to end with Thiago and Jota. Bundesliga reporter Chris Williams claims Liverpool have made an approach for Schalke defender Ozan Kabak.
Per Williams, Schalke sources have confirmed the Reds have made contact over a potential deal for the centre-back. Schalke do not want to sell now that the season has commenced, but it’s claimed a €25 million offer could force them to reconsider that stance.
Kabak is only 20 and has primarily featured in defence, though also has some experience in defensive midfield. He made 26 Bundesliga appearances last term and started Schalke’s season-opening 8-0 loss to Bayern Munich on Friday night. He also has two international caps for Turkey.
At present, Liverpool have only three natural senior centre-backs in the squad: Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip. Fabinho can also moonlight at the position.
Klopp on “wonderful” Thiago
(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
After a transfer saga that dragged on throughout the summer, Liverpool eventually confirmed Thiago’s signing on Friday. And Jurgen Klopp is overjoyed to have got the deal over the line.
“Great! Absolutely great,” Klopp told the official club website when asked about Thiago. “I’m really happy that it finally worked out and we could just do it.
“It’s very exceptional because in our situation, a lot of people around us talk constantly – ‘What are you doing? – bam, bam, bam. Then preparing something like this, working on all different things you have to work in a transfer like this – with thinking about a player like him already is a joy, to be honest, because it gives us obviously some options.
“Then you get in contact with the boy and then you realise, OK, he obviously likes this project as well pretty much, even before he is here, which was really nice. I learned more and more about him as a person; the player I knew before, the person I learned.
“So I’m really happy to bring this wonderful person in as an add-on to the squad, which is just good for football reasons – but for all the other reasons as well. So, yeah, absolutely happy that he’s here.”
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