Liverpool have completed the signing of midfielder Thiago Alcantara from Bayern Munich, the club announced on Friday.
ESPN reported on Thursday that Liverpool had beaten rival interest from Manchester United to seal a deal worth an initial £20 million.
Thiago’s contract with the Bundesliga champions was due to expire next summer and he had been linked with a move away from the club for several months.
“I think it’s an amazing feeling,” Thiago told Liverpool’s website. I was waiting for this moment for a long time and I am very, very happy to be here.
“When the years are passing, you are trying to win as much as you can — and when you win, you want to win more. I think this club describes what I am as well; I want to achieve all of the goals, win as many trophies as possible.
“It also [has] this kind of family [feeling] that I need because we [like to] have a very close relationship with the club and I think I will feel this, I will have this feeling, with this club as well.”
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp had been determined to add the former Barcelona player to his squad earlier this summer, but financial restrictions at the club in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic had left the Anfield hierarchy reluctant to sanction an expensive move for a 29-year-old.
Klopp had been told that a first-team player would have to leave the Premier League champions in order to create space on the wage bill for Thiago.
However, sources told ESPN that Klopp was given the green light to secure Thiago last week, without the need for the club to sell first.