Liverpool star's father admits he 'hopes' he leaves the club to join La Liga team

Liverpool star Thiago Alcantara’s father has said he hopes his son departs Merseyside to join a team in La Liga.

It has been a summer of upheaval for Liverpool's midfield, with Jordan Henderson and Fabinho having both been lured by lucrative deals to Saudi Arabia, and the likes of Naby Keita, James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all departing for free upon the expiry of their contracts.

The Reds have signed Wataru Endo, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai however, with the latter having particularly impressed in the opening three games of the Premier League season.

Meanwhile, influential Spaniard Thiago Alcantara is close to a long-awaited return to action, having returned to training after the Reds’ dramatic 2-1 over Newcastle on Sunday.

The 32-year-old was unable to take part in any pre-season fixtures due to a hip problem that required surgery before the end of the 2022/23 campaign.

However, Thiago’s return will inevitably provide a boost to Jurgen Klopp’s side for the rest of the campaign.

But in the medium to long term, Thiago’s future may reside away from Merseyside. He has been linked with moves to the Saudi Pro League throughout the summer, while his father Mazinho, has admitted he would love to see his son move to La Liga side Celta Vigo this summer.

Mazinho, a 1994 World Cup winner with Brazil, played 114 games for Celta over a four-year spell, while his son Rafinha - Thiago’s brother - played 32 games on loan there in the 2013/14 campaign, and another 29 encounters for the club in 2019/20.

On the prospect of Thiago moving to Celta, Mazinho said via Mundo Deportivo: “In football you never know.

“I hope so [that he can sign for Celta] but at the moment it is very complicated because Thiago has another dimension and another lifestyle.

“But I wish Thiago could come here. Almost all the memories I have from here are very good. Vigo is our home.

“Rafinha has had the opportunity to come here later to play two seasons… for the whole family, Celta means our home.”