LONDON (AFP) – Thiago Alcantara and Joel Matip will leave Liverpool when their contracts expire at the end of the season, the Premier League club announced yesterday.
Spain international Thiago, 33, joined Liverpool from Bayern Munich for GBP20 million in 2020 but injuries have limited the midfielder to just 98 appearances, including only one this season.
“Before he even came to Liverpool I believed that if you really love football it would make a lot of sense if you watched Thiago Alcantara play,” said manager Jurgen Klopp, who is also leaving the club at the end of the season.
“Technically, he is so, so good. A talent who could play in any team in the world and it was a privilege to have him with us.”
He added: “I know injuries have been a frustration for him and also for us but the level that he was able to play at when he was available was incredible. This is what I will remember.”
Central defender Matip, 32, has spent eight years at Liverpool after joining on a free transfer from Schalke, helping the club win a series of trophies including the Champions League and Premier League.
The former Cameroon international, who has made 201 appearances, was one of Klopp’s first signings. Matip has not played since rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament against Fulham in early December.
