Rumour Mongering: Thiago Prefers Liverpool to Paris Saint-Germain

At this point, it’s starting to feel a little like Thiago Alcanata to Liverpool has always been a transfer rumour. That the world has not existed without the 29-year-old star midfielder with a spotty injury record being linked with a move to Anfield. That we will go on reading stories about his desire to join up with Jürgen Klopp until the heat death of the universe.

It feels like that kind of a transfer rumour.

So it’s really no surprise that fresh on the heels of transfer talk earlier this week about Paris Saint-Germain having won the race that maybe never was—what with Thiago being a 29-year-old with a spotty injury record on massive wages and not at all seeming like a likely name to be at the top of Liverpool’s recruitment list—today we’re being told to hold on.

Today we’re being told that maybe a PSG deal isn’t actually on the horizon because, according to Germany’s Kicker at least, Thiago still likes the idea of joining Liverpool more and he’s holding out for that dream Anfield move.

Or maybe he’s just holding out for a better contract offer from PSG. We’re inclined to think that, all things being considered, it’s more likely the latter than the former.

As has been the case all along, there remains a very narrow window to the Thiago to Liverpool rumours being legitimate. Namely, if the club are losing a midfielder in the same age bracket whose wages and potential transfer fee were he sold would represent a wash, a swap, be financially neutral.

Given the club walked from Timo Werner. Given their depth at the position means bringing in another midfielder—one that makes their average age older, no less—about as far as you can get from a priority. The only way Thiago works is as a replacement signing.

All of that, though, is a lot of contorting to do when the reality of the situation is probably a lot more simple: Thiago, his agent, or selling club Bayern Munich using Liverpool’s name to try to drum up a better deal elsewhere.