Thiago Alcantara is being linked with a return to Barcelona following his exit from Liverpool this summer.
Not as a player, but in a new role alongside new Barca manager Hansi Flick.
Thiago is a free agent after his contract at Anfield expired at the end of the season.
It was a frustrating spell for the Spanish midfielder who was unable to really show his undoubted quality in the Premier League due to a string of injury problems over his four-year Liverpool career.
While he is 33 and his recent career has been dogged by fitness issues, there has been no mention of Thiago hanging up his boots just yet.
But reports from Spanish outlet AS claim he is being eyed by former club Barcelona in a liaison role.
The Spanish giants are said to be searching for someone who can speak Spanish and German to help new boss Flick settle into life at the Nou Camp when he begins work as successor to Xavi.
Thiago would be the perfect candidate, having worked with Flick during his spell at Bayern Munich.
It is claimed he would act as a ‘direct link’ between the coach and the players to help soften the period of transition between the two coaches, as well as work as a translator.
It was a role Jose Mourinho had under Bobby Robson at Sporting Lisbon, before becoming the great English manager’s assistant at Porto and then at Barcelona before stepping up into full-time management.
Barca’ sporting director Deco is said to be looking for a player in the twilight of their career to fill the role, with two other veteran stars in contention.
Marc Bartra and Javi Martinez are the other names on the list, with the report explaining the ‘objective is for them to be fundamental in coexistence in the locker room’.
Bartra, 33, is also a former Barcelona player and knows German following his spell at Borussia Dortmund.
He is currently in a second spell with Real Betis, where he returned in 2023 after a one-season stint with Turkish club Trabzonspor, but a long-standing tendon problem has restricted him to just four appearances since his move back to the Spanish side.
Unlike Thiago and Bartra, Martinez has not played for Barca in his career, but he did spend nine years at Bayern Munich where he was coached by Flick.
Martinez is currently plying his trade in the Middle East with Qatar SC, where he moved in 2021, but at 35 he is closer to retirement than the other two.
News Summary:
- Thiago Alcantara linked with new role at Barcelona after Liverpool exit
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