By David Lee Wheatley
Born in Italy to a Brazilian World Cup winner, Thiago Alcantara has been destined for great things from a young age. Thanks to his dad Mazinho’s profession, he grew up in Spain either side of a spell in the Flamengo youth ranks back in his father’s homeland of Brazil.
Having eventually broken through at Barcelona, the attacking midfielder shot to prominence this summer due to several exhilarating performances at the Under-21 European Championships, in which he assisted Spain to a glorious title win.
Clubs all over Europe were alerted to his substantial flair, passing ability and skill on the ball, prompting Manchester United to blink first in pursuit of his signature. Reports suggested it was almost a done deal as recently as a week ago, but that was prior to former Barcelona head coach Pep Guardiola sweeping into the reckoning as he publicly declared a firm interest in transporting his former protégé to Bayern Munich.
The reigning champions of Europe possess one of the strongest squads on the continent, but need tweaks in a couple of departments. No major reconstruction is required at the Allianz Arena; however the signing of midfielder Thiago Alcantara is viewed as pivotal to the success of the Guardiola way, as the decorated coach attempts to introduce the swift passing game he employed at the Nou Camp.
Excepting the considerable talents of wing-wizards Ribery and Robben, Bayern largely favoured brawn over beauty last season allowing them to maraud their way to the fabulous treble consisting of the league title, domestic cup and Champions League. Despite experiencing a superb campaign, there’ll undoubtedly be a sea-change in the style of play on display next time out.
Bayern’s attempt to acquire the services of the 22-year-old playmaker seems to have blown Manchester United out of the water. Guardiola was a mentor to the youngster during his time in charge of the Barcelona B team, as well as the senior side, and it’s highly likely that Thiago will be hoping for a reunion with Guardiola in Germany soon.
While training in Italy, talk emanated from that country’s press outlets suggesting Thiago has agreed a four-year deal to join up with Bayern imminently.
It would be a huge coup for the Munich giants to take Alcantara from under the nose of David Moyes and would leave the Premier League champions scrambling for alternatives. Meanwhile, new boss Pep would have the crucial piece of the jigsaw in place, as he strives to impose the fantastical vision he harbours for the future of Bayern Munich.
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