Liverpool news: The Reds were linked with the signing of Thiago Alcantara’s brother Rafina before the deadline.
Raphina followed in her older brother’s footsteps to join Barcelona’s youth academy at age 13 in 2006. She worked through the Blaugrana’s lower levels to make her professional debut during the 2010-11 season.
However, he failed to establish himself as a regular in the Blaugrana squad, playing just 56 league games during his stay at the Camp Nou. Barça loaned him three times before finally selling him to Paris Saint-Germain in 2020.
He made 39 appearances in all competitions for PSG, helping them win a Ligue 1 title and a Coupe de France. The Brazilian international left the Parisian team to sign for free this summer for Al Arabi of the Qatari Stars League.
Liverpool news: Thiago’s brother linked with move to Anfield ahead of deadline
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According to a report by Fabrizio Romano (via Empire of the Kop), Liverpool have shown interest in signing Thiago Alcantara’s brother Rafina before the deadline.
The Reds were in the market for a new midfielder during the final days of the recently concluded transfer window. They preselected several players in that sense, along with Rafinha.
However, the Merseyside side decided not to sign him and he moved on to Arthur Melo from Juventus. Arthur arrived at Anfield on a season-long loan, with the Reds also having the option of signing him permanently for €37.5m next summer.
The Brazilian international is likely to make his Reds debut when they take on Napoli in a UEFA Champions League group stage match on Thursday.
Thiago Alcantara returns to full training
Reds manager Jurgen Klopp has confirmed that Thiago Alcantara has returned to training after recovering from a hamstring injury suffered against Fulham on the opening day of the season. He is in contention to play Napoli in a UCL match on Thursday.
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Speaking to the media, he said: “Thiago, back to training, second day today. (That) means he’s ready, for how long, we’ll see.”
The return of the Brazilian international will be a much-needed boost for the Reds as they currently have little depth in midfield. Jordan Henderson, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are currently on the Merseyside team’s injury table.
Both Fabio Carvalho and Curtis Jones will also be out during the match against the Italian side. However, Klopp is confident that the pair will return to training soon.
