Liverpool have agreed an initial £20 million (€22m/$26m) deal with Bayern Munich for midfielder Thiago Alcantara, Goal can confirm.
The Reds are stepping up their efforts to land the Spain international, with the fee potentially rising to £27m (€30m/$35m) in add-ons.
The Reds are finally making their move for the Spain international and are confident of reaching an agreement with the Bavarian giants
A four-year deal will be agreed, with Thiago set to wear the No.6 shirt vacated by Dejan Lovren at Anfield. He will, however, not be in contention to face Chelsea but could make his debut against Lincoln in the Carabao Cup.
Thiago's arrival, though, will provide a huge boost to the Premier League champions, whose sole business so far this summer has been the £10.8m signing of left-back Kostas Tsimikas from Olympiacos.
With Thiago having told Bayern that he wished to move on and seek a new challenge, Liverpool have always been at the front of the queue to sign the 29-year-old, despite reports suggesting Manchester United and Barcelona were also interested.
Klopp has remained tight-lipped on the reports, but dropped a hint last week when refusing to dampen the speculation at a press conference at Melwood.
"If I could invent a word now that would end speculation, I could become really rich!" the Reds boss told reporters.
"I can't end speculation as long as the transfer window is open, that's all I can say. Did I mention that Thiago Alcantara is a really good player? Long ago!
The move for Thiago represents a change in policy for Reds owners Fenway Sports Group, who have generally targeted younger signings during their time on Merseyside. The likes of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino, Fabinho, Naby Keita and Alisson Becker all arrived for big fees, but in their early-to-mid 20s.
But Thiago, at 29, represents a proven world-class talent whom Klopp believes will add a new dimension to his squad as they look to defend their league crown, as well as competing for the Champions League.
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