Chelsea will not be getting involved in the battle to sign Bayern Munich midfielder Thiago Alcantara before the transfer window closes, according to the Guardian’s Fabrizio Romano.

Liverpool remain firm favourites to sign the 29-year-old, with Manchester United also having had talks with the Spanish international’s agent recently, but when asked about Chelsea’s involvement on Twitter, Romano gave an emphatic answer:

no, I never said it. Chelsea are not involved in Thiago race

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 5, 2020

Having one less rival to worry about will certainly help the Reds get a deal over the line for Thiago. A lot, though, will hinge on the future of Georginio Wijnaldum with many assuming that the Dutchman will need to be sold before a replacement in midfield can be sought.

Romano claims Barcelona are prepared to pay a combined €50m (£45m) on both Wijnaldum and Lyon’s Memphis Depay, but what portion of that transfer budget the Catalan club are willing to use on signing Wijnaldum, it remains to be seen.