Liverpool announced on Friday that Thiago Alcantara and Joel Matip will leave the club when their contracts expire at the end of the season.
Thiago, 33, joined Liverpool from Bayern Munich in 2020 for £20 million ($25 million). Despite his technical prowess, injuries have restricted the Spain international to just 98 appearances, including only one this season.
"Before he even came to Liverpool, I believed that if you really love football, it would make a lot of sense to watch Thiago Alcantara play," said manager Jurgen Klopp, who will also leave the club at the end of the season. "Technically, he is so, so good. He was a talent who could play for any team in the world, and it was a privilege to have him with us."
Klopp acknowledged the frustration of Thiago's injuries but praised his exceptional performance when fit. "The level that he was able to play at when he was available was incredible. This is what I will remember."
Central defender Matip, 32, joined Liverpool on a free transfer from Schalke eight years ago, helping the team win the Champions League and Premier League. The former Cameroon international has made 201 appearances but has been sidelined since rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament against Fulham in early December.
"In all the years that I have been involved in football, I am not sure I have come across too many players who are more loved than Joel Matip," Klopp said. "A wonderful professional, a wonderful footballer, and a wonderful human being—we have been blessed to have him with us for as long as we have, and now all we can do is wish him well as he heads off in a new direction."
Liverpool, currently guaranteed to finish third in the Premier League, will host Wolves on Sunday in their final game of the season.
