Despite Premier League failure last season, it strikes me that it remains an exciting time to be a Manchester United fan. Whilst City sit still in the transfer market (potentially bidding their time for some big money signings later on) Sir Alex Ferguson has demonstrated his usual agitated inability to sit still and is looking to make signings and improve the side. The aim: to knock City off their perch. So far he’s signed Borussia Dortmund’s highly rated playmaker Shinji Kagawa and Crewe starlet Nick Powell. But the links keep rolling in.
According to the Daily Mail, United have one eye trained firmly on Barcelona starlet Thiago Alcantara. The young midfielder is said to be frustrated with his lack of game time at the Catalan club and willing to consider a move in order to further his career. With the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Xavi and Andres Iniesta likely to be around for a little longer, that may well be the best thing he can do for his own self-development.
It’s impossible not to get excited at the prospect of seeing Thiago applying his trade in the Premier League. At 21-years-old he has firmly established himself as one of the best young players in Europe. Fans hoped for weeks that Sir Alex would snap up Eden Hazard. There were claims that United ‘lacked ambition’ when he didn’t. Well, this would for me, be an Eden Hazard level signing. A true marker of ambition.
In terms of pure talent, he’s not too far away from Hazard. He’s got excellent ball control, can spray passes about with ease and can beat a man. He’s also got great vision. Whilst Hazard is a goal-scoring threat, Thiago is more likely to beat his man and then put it on a plate for a teammate. I’m sure the likes of Wayne Rooney would love playing with him. Besides – didn’t Sir Alex buy Kagawa to deliver goals from the centre of midfield?
Manchester United have been looking to bring in somebody a little ‘special’ to bolster their midfield for some time. Anderson just hasn’t kicked on and Michael Carrick is more of a water-carrier. Thiago would be the kind of signing that got fans excited about their team again. At the moment it’s just a rumour – the Mail have supplied no real evidence that there’s any truth about their claims.
But it’s an incredibly exciting rumour. I for one, can’t help but hope that their claims are true.
What’s your take? Would Thiago be the perfect signing at Manchester United?
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It’s great being linked with all these names but I think we need to get real. It’s not like Glazers won’t fund big transfers – we spent £18m on De Gea – but they won’t do so with the frequency that fans want. What United really need, what we’ve lacked since 2008, and creaky since Keane was in his pomp, is someone with drive and dynamism. Kagawa will score goals and create chances, but do we honestly think that the Glazers will lavish the £50m plus that would be needed to buy a player who can control a game AND someone who can win the ball? I doubt it so United need to find someone who can win the ball and use it with guile. I like Tiote but can he do this? I’m not sure. That’s why the likes of Schweinsteiger is such a great player: he does both. Maybe De Rossi would be a good option? Do we seriously think that Sir Alex will buy someone like Modric and Bale? As I said we’ve been ignoring the last few years if we think this.
City’s not on no perch, they are still that small club trying to challenge Manchester United for major trophies, one good season for them with all the luck in the world adn a massive injury list at united doesnt change a damn thing. Also City will not make any big name signings, all they do are sign nobodies(barry, johnson, milner, lescott, de jong, k.toure, savic, kolarov, nasri etc…) or decent players(aguero, tevez, silva, y.toure)at overinflated prices from clubs who no longer want them and have no-one else interested, they have not signed one big name or world class player. United on the othe rhadn has jsut signed the world clas Kagawa to go with world class players such as Chicharito, Rooney, Nani, Giggs, Scholes, Vidic, Cleverley, Evra, Valencia, Ferdinand and De Gea. I am getting sick of this over-rated city love fest, it is pathetic, just typcial blueglasses wearing bs from people hiding from the real world. We already have special like Cleverley, Chicharito, Nani, Valencia, Kagawa, Rooney aswell young talent like W/M.Keane, Tunnicliffe, Petrucci, Lingard, Cole, Daehli, Van Velzen just waiting their time. The future belongs to MANCHESTER UNITED.
WELL SAID MY FRIEND…….
City are ordinary and fluked the Title in the woRst PL season of all time….and it still took refs help, a massive United injury list, a United balls ups and a QPR roll over to buy the title. City are skint and haves to sell first, the Arab nolonger funding transfer buys hahahahahaha. We just landed the world class Kagawa and talented Powell to go with our star studded world class squad, who’s next? could be just anout any big name in the world. The future is “blue” HAHAHAHAHAHA, dont think so bitters, THE FUTURE IS RED, THE FUTURE IS MANCHESTER UNITED.
I agree with the City comments but i do not under estimate them , they need firmly put back in their box . Twice now we have given them confidence ,Time to snatch it back . The last derby proved we are in need of a leader .At the end of the day if you can win and keep possesion then attack the job is 90% done .Bring back our fear factor please .
After seeing Luka Modric play against Spain and do so quite spectacularly as to make Xavi and Iniesta look like average schoolboys, Thiago hardly makes a shadow! My view is that Manchester United should get Luka Modric and cut the spending! Give the young talents a chance, such as Tom Cleveley and Fabio da Silva! Fabio has immense potential, he only needs games in him, and there’s no need to stress how talented Tom is! With Modric, that midfield is sorted, with maturity and PL as well as International experience and eagerness and fitness that has been lacking! Modric will take Manchester United to new heights!
I totally agree with you. Buy Luka Modric and let’s cut the spending, we had players who were playing for us and still have so it’s just a matter of just an injury free season and we are Good to go. GGMU