Bayern Munich have reached an agreement with Premier League champions Liverpool for the transfer of Spain midfielder Thiago Alcantara.
The deal, reported to be worth €30 million (Dh130m) for Bayern, was confirmed by Bayern's chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge on Thursday.
Thiago, 29, is expected to sign a four-year deal with the Reds having left Bayern with less than a year left on his contract.
Bayern coach Hansi Flick praised the former Barcelona midfielder for his contribution to the club whom he helped win seven Bundesliga shields, four German cups as well as last month's Champions League in which Thiago was man of the match in the 1-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain in the final.
"Thiago was an exceptional player for seven years for Bayern Munich," Flick told reporters. "The way he played he gave many options to the team, he was a surprising player because he solved problems in ways people did not expect."
"It was a joy working with him. He is an absolute professional and a great person. I congratulate [Liverpool coach Jurgen] Klopp. He gets a top player and a sensational person."
Rummenigge had earlier confirmed the move, saying the two clubs had reached an agreement and the player was leaving Munich.
The Spanish international started his career at Barcelona and was handed his debut for the Catalan side by Pep Guardiola in 2009 at the age of 18.
Thiago joined up with Guardiola again in 2013 when the new Bayern boss took him to Bavaria where he enjoyed unrivalled success as the club dominated domestic football and were last month crowned kings of Europe for a sixth time.
Thiago's arrival may pave the way for Georginio Wijnaldum's departure, with the Dutch midfielder linked with a move to Barcelona.
Thiago will become Klopp’s second senior signing of the summer window as his team look to regain the Premier League title they won last term.
They got off to a winning start on Saturday, when a Mohamed Salah hat-trick inspired them to a 4-3 win over Leeds United.
The Reds' next match is on Sunday against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
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Liverpool train ahead of Chelsea match
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Sadio Mane and Andy Robertson having a laugh. Getty -
Virgil van Dijk during Liverpool's training session at Melwood. Getty -
Mohamed Salah negotiates some hurdles at the Liverpool training session. Getty -
Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold enjoy the workout. Getty -
James Milner takes aim in head tennis.Getty -
Joe Gomez on the ball. Getty -
Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson is just as competitive in training. Getty -
Xherdan Shaqiri has eyes on the ball as Roberto Firmino watches. Getty
