Bayern out to pip Man United in the race to sign Barcelona star

Manchester United are reportedly bracing themselves for the disappointment of missing out on their top summer transfer target as Bayern Munich have arrived late to the Thiago Alcantara party.

The Brazilian-born Spaniard lit up this summer’s European under-21 Championships in which he captained his country to a second successive victory in the tournament and was as short as 1/8 to be the first major recruit of the David Moyes regime at Old Trafford.

However, the night shift at the rumour mill has led us to believe that all-conquering Bayern have muscled the Premier League champions to the wayside in the race for his signature.

It would appear that Bavaria’s biggest name have an ace in the hole in their bid to land Alcantara, with the former coach of his current club, Pep Guardiola, now in office at the Allianz Arena.

Whether this reported interest coaxes the Red Devils to up their offer for the player in an attempt blow Munich’s finest out of the water remains to be seen, but a playmaker of his pedigree is definitely required if United are to improve in the coming season.

With this in mind, Thiago may feel he’d be better served making the switch to the north west of England as opposed to southern Germany. The media would have us believe that he wants out of Barcelona on account of a lack of game time; he’d be almost guaranteed a place in United’s starting XI.

It’d be a lot harder to break into the Bayern ranks given that they won everything on offer with such consummate ease last term, it seems highly unlikely there’ll be wholesale changes ahead of the current campaign.

Plus, with the arrival of Mario Gotze to compete with in-house playmaking force Toni Kroos and stalwart midfield battering ram Bastian Schweingsteiger operating a little deeper, he could experience similar frustrations at Bayern.

For this reason, those who lumped on his short price for a Man United switch needn’t be sweating too much just yet.

All odds and markets accurate as of publication’s time and date