Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet is poised to join Club Brugge in a deal worth up to £8 million, sources tell ESPN FC.
The 31-year-old, who was part of the squad for the Community Shield defeat to Manchester City on Sunday, said his goodbyes to his teammates at Wembley before boarding a private plane from London to Belgium.
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He has agreed a long-term contract, with a medical and the formalities of the transfer set to be completed on Monday.
Mignolet's fee is an initial £6.4m, rising to £8m with achievable add-ons.
Thumbs up, Big Si is in the house 😍👍🏻 @SMignolet pic.twitter.com/q4chRpMPXv
— Club Brugge KV (@ClubBrugge) August 4, 2019
Jurgen Klopp had hoped to keep the Belgium international as deputy to Alisson, saying in June that he expected the keeper to remain at Anfield.
However, Liverpool always maintained that if there was a good proposal on the table that would benefit Mignolet, they would consider it, as was the case when Lucas Leiva left for Lazio in the summer of 2017.
That has presented itself with Club Brugge offering him a starting position as well as good contract terms, while the Reds will recoup nearly all of the £9m they paid Sunderland to secure his services in 2013.
Mignolet was prevented from leaving for Napoli last year, on a loan-to-buy agreement, so Loris Karius could rebuild his career at Besiktas.
The club could not deny him another opportunity and the Belgian, who made 204 career appearances for the Reds, departs on good terms at Anfield.
Liverpool are expected to bring in a new backup keeper and were interested free agent Adrian, released from West Ham, earlier in the summer.