Thiago Alcantara is set to retire after being released by Liverpool and becoming a free agent, according to reports.
The 33-year-old has had terrible luck with injuries in recent years which contributed to Liverpool‘s decision not to renew his contract.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Thiago has decided to retire from professional football rather than look for a new club.
Thiago has had quite the footballing CV, playing for Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Liverpool and boasting a fine medal record at all of them.
At Barcelona, where he came up through the academy, he won four LaLiga titles and the Champions League before joining Bayern Munich in 2013 and winning seven Bundesliga titles and the Champions League again in 2020.
After lifting the European cup for a second time and being named in the Champions League XI of the year, Liverpool snapped up the midfielder for just £20million.
However, injuries hampered the Spaniard at Anfield throughout his four years at the club.
In his first three seasons, Thiago managed 97 appearances but the last campaign was a nightmare, playing just four minutes as injuries left him sidelined.
It led to an emotional farewell at the end of last season at Liverpool where he joined Jurgen Klopp and Joel Matip in departing.
Speaking about the playmaker, Klopp gave a poignant summary of Thiago’s career at Anfield, where he won the FA Cup in 2022.
The German coach said: “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.
“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.
“I already knew a lot about him as a footballer before he got here – what he did at Barcelona and Bayern Munich, how could you not? – and I could not have been happier when he decided to take on a new challenge with us.
“From that point on I got to see him up close and all I can say is ‘Wow’. Most importantly, he was part of a new story and helped us develop as a team because of his special qualities.
“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.”