Liverpool sign Thiago Alcantara from Bayern Munich

Liverpool: Thiago Alcantara is joining Liverpool after ending his seven-year stint at European champions Bayern Munich.

Liverpool will reportedly pay 20 million pounds up front with a potential additional 5 million pounds later.

“That was Thiago’s great wish,” Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said on Thursday in a video interview with German newspaper Bild. “It was his great wish, quite simply, to do something new before the end of his career.”

The Spain midfielder won seven consecutive Bundesliga titles with Bayern and the Champions League last month. His contract with the Munich club was due to expire at the end of the 2020-21 season.

The 29-year-old Thiago Alcantara is Liverpool’s second signing of the transfer window. The club also brought in defender Kostas Tsimikas from Olympiakos last month.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said last week that Thiago Alcantara was a “really good player” when commenting on the club’s reported interest in signing him.

“I can only congratulate Kloppo, he’s got a top player and a sensationally good person,” Bayern coach Hansi Flick said.

Flick added he tried and failed to persuade Thiago Alcantara to stay, and “it was very emotional today when he said goodbye”.