Rumor Mongering: English, European Sources Issue Conflicting Reports On Thiago Signing

Photo by MANU FERNANDEZ/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

A top European transfer journalist says a move for the Bayern star is still on but the ECHO thinks otherwise.

Did you know Liverpool want to sign Bayern Munich maestro Thiago Alcântara? Out of the blue, we know. Reds supporters have grown accustomed to Michael Edwards, to paraphrase the philosopher Lil’ Wayne, being a G sealing transfers in silence like lasagna.

Needless to say, this has not been one of those moves. Over two months have passed since Thiago to Liverpool linkages first emerged, and the Spanish passmaster is still wearing the wrong shade of red with days to go until the start of the new season.

Photo by Michael Regan - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images

“What? You say Liverpool kit sponsor is Standard Chartered not T-Mobile? That’s what I thought! I knew something felt off.”

Liverpool, scarred by the Virgil Van Dijk tapping up scandal in 2017’s transfer saga, have largely cut club-connected journalists off from major transfer information in the years since. Regarding Thiago negotiations, this has often meant reporting on whether or not Liverpool are interested in and are moving for the player depends on whether the source is a club-connected English journalist or a European one.

Case in point is a recent update from Italian transfer journalist, Fabrizio Romano, claiming that Thiago talks between Bayern and Liverpool would “restart soon” to try hash out a fee for the 29-year-old that has most recently been pegged at £27m.

Rummenigge has confirmed today that “we still hope to keep David Alaba at Bayern Münich. We’re working on it”.
No comment abt Thiago - but Bayern will be in touch again soon with Liverpool. #LFC don’t want to pay €30M price tag but talks are going to restart soon. #transfers

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 27, 2020

Meanwhile, the ECHO continues to insist that the Champions League winner is “not currently an active target” for the Reds despite Bayern CEO, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge virtually asking Liverpool to take the player off their hands. Of not is that Romano’s tweet would imply that talks had begun at one point, stopped and will start again, seemingly contrary to the Bavarian boss’ claims that Liverpool were yet to reach out.

Further encouragement for supporters keen to welcome the silky midfielder to Anfield is reporting from the likes of The Independent’s club-connected Melissa Reddy breaking with the English-European journo divide on Liverpool transfers to indicate that the Reds are “significantly interested” in the player.

Readers of this article can therefore say with confidence that Liverpool might move for Thiago but that they also might not. Transfer season truly is the worst.

Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com