Liverpool midfielder Thiago Alcantara has been linked with Barcelona, but transfer news expert Fabrizio Romano has played down those rumours in his latest column for the Daily Briefing.
Speaking exclusively to CaughtOffside for the column, Romano stated that nothing had really changed with Thiago’s situation since he decided to stay at Liverpool in the summer, rejecting interest from clubs in the Saudi Pro League.
The veteran Spanish midfielder has been injured so far this season, so has been unable to make an impact for the Reds, but he could still have a role to play once he returns, even if he’s not getting any younger and Jurgen Klopp might be tempted to think about more long-term options.
Still, it’s clear Thiago is a player who hasn’t lost his superb natural ability, and there has been some speculation about a surprise potential return to Barcelona, which Romano has played down.
Discussing the former Bayern Munich man’s situation, Romano said: “I’ve had some fans asking me about stories involving Thiago Alcantara and a surprise potential return to Barcelona this January. Of course we know that Barca are now short in midfield after the lengthy injury to Gavi, but it’s too early to know if they’re going to replace him, or who they could target.
“With Thiago, I’m not aware of concrete talks with Barca so far. As I previously reported, Barca’s priority is to register Vitor Roque before deciding on the midfielder situation. For now there are no changes, and no concrete developments on how to act with replacing Gavi.
“It’s also worth remembering that Thiago said no to Saudi clubs in July as he wanted to stay at Liverpool. As far as I’m aware there has been no change to his situation since then.”