Thiago Alcántara is retiring from football, transfer market expert Fabrizio Romano revealed on Sunday afternoon. The 33-year-old midfielder still loves the game, but he is ready for 'a new chapter' in football.

Alcántara was under contract with Liverpool until the end of June, when his contract expired. He has decided not to extend his contract and is not interested in offers from other clubs.

What exactly the 46-times Spanish international plans to do is still unclear. Romano does announce that Alcántara's role in football is far from over.

The midfielder's many injuries may have had a big impact on his decision to hang up his boots. Last season he only played five minutes in the Premier League due to a muscle and hip injury.

This means that the match against Arsenal (3-1 defeat) in early February immediately became his last professional match ever. He also struggled with hamstring problems in the previous season and Alcántara had hip problems, although he did play eighteen Premier League matches.

In the summer of 2020, Alcántara made the move from Bayern Munich to Liverpool for around 22 million euros. At the record champion he had been under contract since the summer of 2013, when he transferred from FC Barcelona.

Alcántara won the Champions League with both Barcelona (2011) and Bayern Munich (2020). He also won the national championship eleven times and the Club World Cup twice. He represented Spain at the 2016 and 2021 European Championships and the 2018 World Cup.

More sports news