Barcelona contemplate return of Thiago Alcantara from Liverpool

The Spanish international finds himself in the final year of his contract at Anfield and has attracted interest from various teams across Europe and the Middle East.

Thiago's time in Merseyside seems to be nearing its end, with the La Liga giants eyeing him as a potential acquisition. According to SPORT, Liverpool are hesitant to let go of Thiago this summer but open to entertaining reasonable offers for the versatile midfielder.

The outlet reveals further that Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez has developed a keen interest in Thiago due to his ability to excel in different positions across the midfield.

In a recent interview with Mundo Deportivo, Barca president Joan Laporta hinted at Xavi's desire to bolster the team's midfield options, saying, "Xavi has emphasized our goal of conquering the Champions League, and strengthening the squad with a few players will almost be obligatory."

Thiago, since his move to England, has faced challenges in emulating the form that earned him widespread acclaim during his illustrious stint with Bayern Munich. Frequent injuries have disrupted his three-year tenure at Anfield, forcing him to miss a total of 62 games. With the recent arrival of new midfield talents like Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton and Hungarian sensation Dominik Szoboszlai, Thiago now appears to have slipped down the pecking order.

Considering the substantial investments made by Liverpool this summer, the club may opt to cash in on Thiago, who has only one year remaining on his contract, in order to recoup some of the £95 million they have spent. The end of the 2022-23 season witnessed the departures of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, James Milner, and Naby Keita, who left Anfield as free agents.

Meanwhile, the future of club captain Jordan Henderson at Anfield is also uncertain, as there is significant interest from the Saudi Pro League. Daily Mail Sport exclusively revealed last week that Henderson has become a target for a Saudi Pro League club, which recently appointed Steven Gerrard as their new coach.

If Henderson secures a move to Saudi Arabia, his current wages could quadruple to a staggering £700,000 per week. Initially, there were indications that he would be hesitant to leave Liverpool at this stage of his career, given concerns about his place in the England squad as the Euro '24 finals approach at the end of the season.

However, much like Gerrard, Henderson has reportedly had a change of heart regarding a move to Saudi Arabia and is now seriously contemplating the offer from Al-Ettifaq.