Liverpool have agreed a fee to bring Thiago Alcantara to Anfield from German champions Bayern Munich, according to reports.
The Reds have been chasing the midfielder for a number of months and had reportedly been unwilling to meet Bayern’s €30million (£27million) asking price.
Liverpool’s only recruit of the summer is left-back Kostas Tsimikas, who joined from Olympiacos for £11.75m and will provide back-up to left-back Andy Robertson.
READ MORE: Thiago adds an aesthetic dimension to the Liverpool machine
However, The Athletic now claims that Liverpool have agreed to pay Bayern €30million for the 29-year-old with talks having ‘accelerated since Monday’.
The report adds that Liverpool needed to get a move on after ‘Bayern officials made it clear they wanted a deal completed before the start of the Bundesliga season’.
The Bundesliga champions kick off their season against Schalke tomorrow and now the Reds have decided to act.
The Spain international ‘still has to finalise terms’ with Jurgen Klopp’s men but that ‘should be more straightforward’.
Elsewhere, the BBC, Daily Mail and the Times claim the deal for Thiago is an initial £20m with £5m in add-ons.
Click Here: cheap all stars rugby jersey
On why Liverpool are signing him, reporter James Pearce told The Athletic: “Given that he is 29 and will command big wages, it is a deal out of keeping with Liverpool’s usual transfer policy of investing in young talent.
“But the relatively low fee given his contractual situation meant Liverpool ultimately decided he was worth making an exception for.
“Jurgen Klopp is a huge admirer. When Liverpool signed Naby Keita, Klopp said he had been the best player in the Bundesliga along with Thiago.”