Thiago Misses First Day of Preseason, Fueling Imminent Transfer Rumours

Thiago Alcantara missed last few games of Liverpool’s disappointing 2022-23 season, and now he’s missed the first day of preseason as well. Though he was listed as one of the eight players expected to show up to the AXA Training Centre on Saturday, Thiago was noticeably absent from training pictures.

It could be that his hip injury and subsequent surgery and recovery is behind this decision. However, this newest twist has added fuel to the fire of rumours that the Spanish national team player is planning to move on this season.

Like Firmino, he has been linked to a lucrative move to Saudi Arabia. In recent days, though, the 32-year-old is also said to have garnered interest from Turkish team Galatasaray. Turkish news site Fanatik went so far as to claim that the Galatasaray vice-president Erden Timur traveled to England to court Thiago.

If Thiago leaves, it will be another interesting shake up in Jürgen Klopp’s quest to reinvigorate his midfield options. Thiago arrived on Merseyside from Bayern Munich in 2020. At the time, it was a surprising, if welcomed addition to the squad, because Thiago, at 29-years-old, was older than the transfer committee prefers. The decision proved a good one, and the player has shown his continued class over the last three seasons.

He signed a four year contract when he arrived, so if the club has any hope of making money off of his sale, this window might be the last chance for it to happen.