Thiago Alcantara is flying into Merseyside to complete the formalities of his Liverpool move today.
The Bayern Munich midfielder is due in the region on Friday morning and will undergo a medical before signing a four-year contract at Anfield.
After months of speculation, Liverpool finally entered into talks with Bayern Munich on Monday and have a struck a deal worth an initial £20million for the Spain international.
A further £5m in add-ons will be paid if certain performance-based criteria are met and Anfield officials are delighted they have been able to secure a player they view as one of the finest in Europe at such a relatively modest fee.
Talks accelerated across the week between the two European giants after it was made clear that the Italian-born Spain star had his heart set on a switch to Anfield.
Sunday's visit to Chelsea will come too soon for Thiago but he could be made available for next Thursday's trip to Lincoln in the third round of the Carabao Cup, although the meeting with Arsenal at Anfield on September 28 is perhaps more realistic.
Bayern had been desperate to earn a fee on a player they bought from Barcelona for £22m in 2013 and the terms agreed with the Reds also represents smart business in Bavaria, considering Thiago is well inside the final 12 months of his deal at the age of 29.
Thiago will undergo a routine medical at a private hospital on Merseyside on Friday upon arrival in the UK with the club hopeful of confirming the transfer later today.
When Liverpool signed Kostas Tsimikas from Greek side Olympiacos last month, the club were able to confirm the news a few hours after the left-back had completed his checks.
The ECHO understands Liverpool are looking to do the same for the 29-year-old Thiago as they close in on their second transfer of the window.
The arrival of Thiago is not dependent on other players leaving Liverpool this window and the signature of one of the most complete midfielders in Europe will provide a significant injection of quality to a side that won the Premier League title by 18 points last season.
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