Report: Jürgen Klopp approves Thiago transfer to Liverpool — Bayern wants €40 million

Thiago Alcantara is serious: after abruptly turning down a contract extension at Bayern Munich, he now intends to transfer to Liverpool FC. And Bild reports that head coach Jürgen Klopp has given his blessing to the move. Klopp has supposedly “given the order to buy” the Spanish midfielder.

That directly contradicts an earlier report from ESPN that Liverpool was not pursuing the midfielder on account of his age and price tag.

Presuming that Bild’s story is accurate, the two clubs would now have reach an agreement on a transfer fee. Thiago is under contract with Bayern for another year, until 2021, but Bayern wants to avoid losing him on a free transfer at all costs — well, almost all. Liverpool wants to pay approximately €25 million, while Bayern is hoping for €40 so that they can make a corresponding move on the transfer market.

It’s a disappointing development for Bayern. Club CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge stated that the club had met all of Thiago’s demands before he abruptly backed out of negotiations.